Man, the stuff this guy goes through.
Just when it looked like Wout van Aert’s Tour de France preparations were back on track, a fresh setback has cast doubt over the Belgian’s build-up to cycling’s biggest race.
Visma Lease a Bike confirmed to Sporza that van Aert did not travel to Tignes on Monday with the team’s Tour de France squad, a move that raises new questions about the condition of the elbow injury that forced him out of the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes last week.
“We cannot give an update on his health at the moment,” the team told Sporza. “But we can confirm that he has not left for Tignes.”
Whether van Aert will join the altitude camp at a later date remains unclear.
Preparing for the Tour de France
The camp was expected to be a key part of the 30-year-old’s final preparations for the Tour de France. Missing at least the start of the gathering represents an unwelcome disruption after what had appeared to be an encouraging return to form.
Van Aert took an awesome win on Stage 5 of the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, his first win in months, before abandoning the race a day later. It was the van Aert of old, winning a proper bunch sprint, just like when he seemed unstoppable and even had the green jersey. It added to his great win at Paris-Roubaix, making for a solid start to 2026, after some earlier problems following a crash during ‘cross.
Speaking of crashing, the problem stemmed from an elbow wound suffered in a training crash before the event, with the injury reportedly becoming increasingly troublesome as the race progressed.
According to Visma’s Maarten Wynants, the injury worsened after Thursday’s stage win.
Strange wound for Wout van Aert
“It has been a rollercoaster of emotions. Yesterday he came to the car during the ride with an elbow problem, which looked quite swollen,” Wynants told Wielerflits. “The wound is not healing. It is a mystery to us why it is suddenly worse now than earlier this week.”
Following his withdrawal, Van Aert underwent examinations at a hospital in Herentals. However, neither the rider nor his team has revealed the results, leaving his immediate racing plans, and potentially his Tour de France build-up, surrounded by uncertainty.
“We look at this week with mixed feelings. He is happy with the win, but there are also concerns. This is not ideal towards the Tour,” Wynants said.
The guy has had so much bad luck over the last few years, with crashes, injuries and sickness derailing him on multiple occasions. His win at Paris-Roubaix was special, not just for him, but for cycling. Seeing the multi-disciplined rider take the victory that has eluded him for years. Hopefully this latest problem can be remedied sooner than later and we can enjoy him racing at full strength at the Tour.