Wout van Aert ruled out of Tour de France after elbow infection in big blow for Visma-Lease a Bike - 'Big disappointment'

A statement issued by the team said the Belgian rider is "still dealing with the effects of an elbow injury and has not recovered in time to start the Tour de France at the required level".

Van Aert crashed during training before the Tour Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes earlier this month, and the team said an infection "unexpectedly developed" in the elbow wound, which culminated with him abandoning the race.

Visma said Van Aert's injury was cleaned again in hospital this week, and that he spent a night under observation, before it was decided that a "full recovery is the priority" and that he would not be in contention to be selected for the Tour de France, which gets underway on July 4 - live on TNT Sports and HBO Max.

"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.”

Visma's race coach, Marc Reef, expressed his disappointment at losing "one of the most important riders in our team" and said "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.”

Despite contending with his training injury, Van Aert won the fifth stage of Tour Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes. He withdrew from the race on Stage 6.

Van Aert has won 10 Tour de France stages during his career, including Stage 21 of last year's race. He also took the Paris-Roubaix crown earlier this year.

Visma colleague Vingegaard is looking to win his third Tour de France, having topped the general classification in 2022 and 2023.

Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) will once again be the favourite for the 21-stage showcase, entering as a four-time champion and having won the 2024 and 2025 iterations.

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