After outdoor cycling, also squatting: Wout van Aert seems to be making great strides in his recovery

Just three weeks after his serious crash at Dwars door Vlaanderen, Wout van Aert logged his first outdoor bike ride this week, but he's also busy in the gym. Thijs Hertsens, owner of LAB Antwerp, shared on social media how Van Aert is already completing his squats.

"First spin outside," Van Aert happily posted on Strava on Wednesday. By that, he meant his first ride outdoors since his crash near Waregem. "And straight on a new bike. Sorry to all my colleagues whom I've ever given grief for using spacers under their stem," he joked, referring to his modified Cervélo mountain bike on which he completed his first ride.

Earlier, Van Aert had already completed several rides on Zwift, marking a good start to his rehabilitation. On Thursday, there was further confirmation: through the social media of his physio Hertsens, who previously assisted the likes of Remco Evenepoel, it was shown that the squats were going well for the 29-year-old rider from Visma | Lease a Bike, following his heavy crash on March 27 at Dwars door Vlaanderen.

It is not yet known when Van Aert plans to make his return. Normally, he would have started in the Giro d'Italia in early May, but last week he announced that he would have to miss this race, much to his regret. It would have been Van Aert's first Tour of Italy, and now he must find a new way to prepare for the Paris Olympics and later in the season, the Vuelta a España and the World Championships, which will be held this year in Zurich, Switzerland.

Photo: Wout van Aert is on a bike outside for the first time and working on his recovery