A few days before the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, Van Aert crashed during training. During the race, an infection unexpectedly developed in the wound on his elbow, forcing him to abandon the race. This week, the wound was cleaned again in hospital, and he also spent one night under observation in hospital.

After consultation between Van Aert, the medical staff, and the performance coaches of Team Visma | Lease a Bike, it has been decided that full recovery is the priority and Van Aert’s health comes first. For this reason, he will not be included in the selection for the Tour de France.

Wout van Aert: “This is of course a big disappointment. 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.”
 

Race coach Marc Reef: “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. 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.”

Team Visma | Lease a Bike always takes potential withdrawals into account when preparing for races and therefore has replacements ready for every position. This is also the case for the upcoming Tour de France. Who will replace Van Aert will be announced by the team on June 23, when the final Tour de France selection will be presented.