There are moments when sporting rivalry stops. The result, the standings, the victories and ambitions suddenly take a back seat and only concern for a colleague remains, for an opponent who just moments before was pedaling alongside you.

That is what happened at the end of the eighth stage of the Vuelta a España, a day marked by the dramatic withdrawal of Tadej Pogacar. The Slovenian champion, who fell heavily during the stage, was forced to abandon the race, leaving an enormous void in a group that had learned to live with his presence and his ability to turn every race into a spectacle.

Wout van Aert witnessed the crash almost from the front row. The Belgian, who in the 2024 Vuelta had experienced firsthand the frustration of a withdrawal caused by injury, immediately thought of the Slovenian champion's fate.

"I know what it means to be injured, I hope he comes back soon".

Words that carry particular weight because they come from a rider who has had to stop multiple times throughout his career, face rehabilitation and start over. Van Aert knows what it means to see a season change suddenly because of a crash. He knows what it means to watch others race while your only goal becomes simply getting well again.

Pogacar's crash involved several riders. Van Aert managed to avoid it by the narrowest of margins, but he saw up close how violent the impact was.

"It's true - the Belgian confirmed at the end of the stage - Tadej was advancing on the left. I think he lost control of the handlebars because of an irregularity on the road, and then he ended up in the group and took a bad tumble".

These are images that stay with you. For anyone racing in a group, a crash like that is never just an incident involving another rider. Within seconds it can sweep up everything in its path.

"You could immediately see it was a bad crash; two of my teammates also went down - Van Aert continued - In moments like that, for a second you forget you're racing".

Perhaps this is the most human side of cycling: for a few seconds there are no teams, jerseys, standings or rivalries. There is only the fear that someone has been seriously hurt.

Van Aert's words toward Pogacar did not come only from a fellow competitor. The Belgian also speaks through his own experience. His career has been interrupted by injuries multiple times. Each time, however, Van Aert has returned to work to regain his condition and reclaim his place among the best.

Even 2024 had left him with a wound difficult to forget: a crash had forced him to withdraw when he was the absolute protagonist of the race. A situation that today allows him to understand even better what Pogacar is going through.

The Flemish rider, currently wearing the green jersey, did not want to turn the Slovenian's situation into a matter of sporting discussion. "It's not my place to make predictions". The question about the upcoming World Championships, scheduled for next month in Canada, was inevitable. Pogacar was considered one of the great favorites for the rainbow jersey, but after the crash and the subsequent withdrawal from the Vuelta it is impossible to know if he will be able to recover in time.

Van Aert, however, preferred not to speculate. "It's not my place to draw conclusions about his injury. I hope he recovers soon and can return to racing without pain", he stated plainly. An answer that goes beyond simple diplomacy. For Van Aert, before any discussion about the Worlds, comes Pogacar's health and recovery.

"I know what it means to be injured. I believe the rest of the season is the least of his concerns; I hope he comes back soon". It is difficult to imagine a clearer message.

Pogacar had started the Vuelta with the ambition of winning another Grand Tour and had presented himself in Spain as a great favorite. The red jersey, the stage victories and the dominance shown in the first stages seemed to indicate a race destined to become another page in his extraordinary career.

Then came a crash and in a few seconds, everything changed. Now we await news of the Slovenian's condition and especially the timeline for his recovery. The Worlds can wait. The season can wait. The standings can wait.

That is the message that comes from Van Aert's words, a rider who knows well the price this sport can demand. Because in cycling, sooner or later, almost everyone falls. But what really matters is being able to get back up, and Van Aert, more than many others, knows what that means.