Wout van Aert ruled out of Tour de France in blow for Vingegaard

Wout van Aert has been ruled out of the Tour de France due to the elbow injury he sustained in training ahead of the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes.

Although the Belgian sprinted to stage victory on the race, he abandoned the following day after an infection had developed in the wound.

Daniel Benson reported on Wednesday morning that Van Aert would be forced to miss the Tour, and his Visma | Lease a Bike team confirmed the news in a statement shortly afterwards.

“This is of course a big disappointment,” Van Aert said. “The Tour de France is one of my main goals every year. Unfortunately, a crash during training has put a spanner in the works, and the injury to my elbow has worsened and has still not healed sufficiently. 

“Together with the team, we have concluded that starting the Tour in top form is not feasible at this point. My full focus is now on my recovery so I can return to my best level later this season.”

The absence of Van Aert will be a significant blow for Jonas Vingegaard, who claimed a crushing overall victory in last month’s Giro d’Italia. Visma indicated that Van Aert’s replacement in the line-up would be announced on June 23.

“Wout is one of the most important riders in our team and we would obviously have loved to have him at the start of the Tour,” said race coach Marc Reef. 

“In recent days we have explored all options, but ultimately his health comes first. With the recovery process required, it is not possible for him to reach top form in time for the Tour de France. It is unfortunate that he will not be there, but we are convinced this is the right decision for his recovery and the rest of his season.”