Despite the emotional aftermath of winning Milano-San Remo and celebrating with his family and partner, Wout Van Aert reflected on his terrible crash at the Tour de Pollogne and had kind words for Fabio Jacobsen and Dylan Groenewegen.

Jacobsen woke up from a doctor-induced coma on Friday and faces a long and difficult recovery from multiple facial fractures and a damaged trachea.

Van Aert's teammate Groenewegen, immediately blamed for sparking the high-speed crash, gave an emotional interview to Dutch broadcaster NOS on Friday, saying he was sorry for what he did. He was suspended from the team pending the outcome of a UCI investigation.

Van Aert was clearly frustrated by the polemics and finger-pointing that exploded on social media after the crash, even as Jacobsen was still receiving emergency treatment in a Polish hospital.

"It's unnecessary and difficult to judge what happened there because we weren't in that race," he replied after the race when asked for his opinion on whether it had affected his preparations for Milan-San Remo.

"We all knew Dylan personally and felt sorry for him. He's a good guy and he didn't do it on purpose. He made a big mistake, but it was hard to see the reaction."

"I was worried about Fabio, especially in the beginning. He was in mortal danger, and in my opinion everything else should have taken a backseat. It was strange to see all this talk about who was guilty or whatever. He is part of the peloton, he is part of the cycling family.

Van Aert is working with a sports psychologist to help him overcome the trauma of crashing during last year's Tour de France, when a projection of a barrier hook cut deeply into his upper thigh and buttocks during Pau's time trial.

He is aware of the risks that professional riders take on an almost daily basis, but is able to put them aside and focus on racing.

"We all know that there are a lot of risks in this job and that one day you could have a crash like that.

"I'm really relieved to have a little positive news (about Jacobsen) and that his situation is going in the right direction.

"There was a big race coming up and I was in a winning mood, so I tried to focus on that. It's hard to say that, but that's life and that's what we do. When you have the number on your back, you have to take risks to win. That's our job