Good news for struggling Laporte: Visma rider 'slowly but surely' back on the bike

Before the fifth stage, the team was already down to five men after Victor Campenaerts (broken hand) and Ben Tulett could not start the fifth stage as they were not fit enough. But Zingle crashed hard on the eventful stage and abandoned the race. "We have to wait and see how badly he was injured. It is still too early to give a clear diagnosis," said sports director Jesper Mørkøv then. But after the weekend, his injuries became clear.

The crash caused his shoulder to dislocate. This means Zingle will be out of action for at least a few weeks. And that means no Ardennes classics. "Of course, it's difficult not to be able to take part in the Flèche Brabançonne, Amstel Gold Race, and Liège–Bastogne–Liège," said the Frenchman on the website of Visma | Lease a Bike.

Zingle would have been an important rider for the Killer Bees during the Ardennes Trilogy. Together with Tiesj Benoot and Tulett, among others, he would have formed a strong block there. "These races were a main goal for me. My shoulder is still too fragile to race, so the focus is now on rehabilitation. Fortunately, I can tell that I'm recovering well, but these races are just coming too soon," he concludes. It is currently unclear when Axel will return to racing.

While Zingle is absent, his fellow countryman Laporte is back on the bike. The intended classic rider, who has not yet competed this season, had to miss all his favorite races due to an infection. "Just before I was due to go on an altitude training course at the end of January, I wasn't feeling well. Tests showed that I have cytomegalovirus. Since then, I have been recovering, and I have to take it one day at a time," he said at the end of March via the communication of Visma | Lease a Bike.

"The annoying thing is that you can't say how long it will take. With a broken bone, you know roughly how long it will take before you can train again. With this virus, you can't say that in advance, making it difficult mentally," Laporte said. He checked in on social media on Monday. "Slowly but surely getting back on the bike," came the encouraging words from the struggling winner of Paris-Tours. When he can make his comeback is, logically, not yet known.