The Belgian came into the race as one of the red hot favourites having displayed impressive form throughout the spring. However his Tour of Flanders was cut short when he fell hard in a crash involving several teammates and rivals. The race was eventually won by Peter Sagan (Tinkoff).
Van Avermaet was taken to hospital and underwent surgery last night. On Monday morning his team issued an update on his health with the rider stating, "I'm not feeling too bad after the surgery and now I'll take things day by day. I want to thank the entire BMC Racing Team and all of my fans for their support. It means a lot at a time like this.”
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