Boost for Jonas Vingegaard ahead of Tour de France challenge as Visma-Lease a Bike team-mate Edoardo Affini fit to ride
By Becky Hart
Updated 30/06/2026 at 12:58 GMT+1
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Jonas Vingegaard’s chances of more Tour de France glory with Visma-Lease a Bike have received some blows of late with injuries ruling out Christophe Laporte and Wout van Aert. But Edoardo Affini has been given the okay to ride after a recent crash.
Watch Vingegaard's best moments as Dane claims Giro crown
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Italian Affini crashed in his National Championship time trial event last week, reportedly hitting a guard rail on the descent. Visma-Lease a Bike initially said they would monitor the situation, but have now released an update.
”Edoardo Affini has been given the green light to travel to Barcelona and will start the 2026 Tour de France as planned,” the team said via their social media channels.
Every stage of the Tour de France will be live on TNT Sports and HBO Max.
The news is a huge boost for Vingegaard, whose title challenge has already suffered two huge blows.
First was the news that Laporte was out - he tore his quadriceps muscle in a training crash back in May. But worse followed for Vingegaard, with Van Aert also confirmed as not fit to ride thanks to an elbow injury.
Van Aert also crashed in training, with his elbow injury wound then getting infected, with Visma confirming that a "full recovery is the priority" for the Belgian.
That left Vingegaard without two of his most experienced team-mates, so Affini’s recovery will be welcome news with just a few days to go until the Tour begins in Barcelona with a team time trial.
Fortunately for the Dane, who is going in search of a third yellow jersey, he does still have the experience of Matteo Jorgenson and Sepp Kuss riding in support, along with Davide Piganzoli, Bruno Armirail, Victor Campenaerts and Per Strand Hagenes.
Affini is expected to play a big part in the opening stage, as Visma look to set up Vingegaard’s title challenge.
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The Dane knows he is up against it, with chief rival Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) heading for the Tour in strong form, having won the Tour de Suisse, Tour de Romandie and four of the five Spring Classics he entered.
Pogacar is chasing a third straight Tour de France and fifth overall, which would draw him level with Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault and Miguel Indurain.
But despite Vingegaard’s own injury disrupted season, the Dane has ridden himself into some good form and has plenty of racing in his legs after winning the Giro d’Italia already this year.
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Plugge warns Vingegaard will be 'even stronger' at Tour de France after Giro triumph
Video credit: TNT Sports
Those two might not have it all their own way this time around though, with France set to welcome a new prodigy in the form of Paul Seixas (Decathlon CMA CGM), who is giving the home fans plenty to get excited about.
Remco Evenepoel and Florian Lipowitz are riding for Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe and will also likely be in the GC mix.
The Tour begins on Saturday, July 4, with the Grand Depart in Barcelona hosting a 19.6km team time trial, before a second stage in the region follows.
The peloton will head for France on day three, when the first fireworks are likely in a very early mountain stage.
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