Belgian cycling star Wout van Aert will miss the Tour de France. The 31-year-old is still recovering from an elbow injury, according to his team, Visma-Lease a Bike. Following consultation with the medical team and the team management, it has now been decided that van Aert should make a full recovery before returning to competition. It was only in April that van Aert won the Paris-Roubaix classic, beating the exceptional Slovenian rider and Tour favourite Tadej Pogacar in the final sprint.
A few days before the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes in early June, van Aert had a fall during training. During the race, the wound on his elbow became infected and he was forced to withdraw from the race early. The wound was cleaned again this week, and van Aert spent a night in hospital under observation.
“This is, of course, a huge disappointment. The Tour de France is one of my main goals every year. Unfortunately, a crash in training has thrown a spanner in the works, and my elbow injury has worsened and hasn’t healed sufficiently yet,” said van Aert. He would have been a key support rider for former winner Jonas Vingegaard at the Tour. Following his victory in the Giro d’Italia, the Dane now wants to take on his great rival Pogacar.
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