The big news on Wednesday was that Visma-Lease a Bike star Wout van Aert was forced to skip the Tour de France.
But his absence is no longer just a story about an injury. New details have revealed the Belgian’s condition became far more serious than initially understood after a bacterial infection in his injured elbow resulted in a hospital stay.
The seriousness of his infection
Speaking to Het Laatste Nieuws, Visma-Lease a Bike head of performance Mathieu Heijboer said the situation deteriorated rapidly following Van Aert’s stage win at the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes.
“After his victory, his elbow became very swollen,” Heijboer said. “The following morning there were signs of an infection, so we didn’t hesitate and sent him back to Belgium. In a very short time the situation had worsened.”
According to Heijboer, doctors determined the infection was caused by bacteria that entered the wound during racing, although exactly how it happened remains unknown. Van Aert underwent surgery over the weekend to clean the wound and has since been treated with antibiotics.
“The infection was bacterial and developed during the race,” Heijboer explained. “Before that there was absolutely no reason to be concerned.”
The decision about the Tour de France
Once the seriousness of the infection became apparent, the team quickly ruled out any possibility of Van Aert lining up at the Tour.
“At one point it was a very serious situation, otherwise he wouldn’t have been admitted to hospital,” Heijboer said. “His health is our priority. Thanks to the quick response of the medical staff and Dr. Steven Claes, something much worse was prevented.”
According to Het Laatste Nieuws and Wielerflits, Van Aert was at risk of developing sepsis, a potentially life-threatening condition in which the body’s response to an infection begins damaging its own tissues and organs.
A rough ride for van Aert
Although the 31-year-old has now left hospital, he continues to take daily antibiotics while recovering.
“The worst pain is behind him,” Heijboer said. “It’s still sensitive, but much better than it was over the weekend. Once he’s fully recovered, we’ll look at the plans for the rest of the season.”
It’s just another rotten bit of luck the Belgian superstar has had to endure. He’s had more than his fair share over the past few years, from his brutal crash at the 2024 Dwars door Vlaanderen and the lengthy recovery that followed, to another heavy fall at the Vuelta a España after winning stages and wearing multiple jerseys. Even this season was thrown off course after crashing during his cyclocross duel with Mathieu van der Poel in Mol, fracturing his ankle and ending his winter campaign.
Still, Van Aert fought his way back and claimed perhaps the biggest victory of his career by beating world champion Tadej Pogačar at Paris-Roubaix. His sprint win at the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes looked like another encouraging sign ahead of the Tour, suggesting the finishing kick that had deserted him at times was finally back. Instead, cycling has delivered another cruel twist, and Van Aert will be watching the Grand Boucle from home.