Visma give Wout van Aert update: 'It will take a while before he is the old Wout again'

Visma | Lease a Bike announced its roster for the upcoming Tour de France on Tuesday. Last week, the team had already announced that Wout van Aert would not be riding. During the team presentation, sports director Marc Reef provided an update on the Belgian rider’s medical condition.

Van Aert crashed during a time trial training session before the start of the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes and injured his elbow. Although he went on to win a stage in the French stage race, the injury did not improve. Once back in Belgium, the situation worsened further, and it became clear that the Tour would no longer be an option.

"Of course, it's a big blow that Wout can't join us. And it's also very difficult to replace a rider like Wout. Over the past few years, he has made the difference so many times during the Grand Tours we've won," Reef explains.

"He also embodies the culture we have within the team. On top of that, he’s a leader in the group; he always leads from the front and fully supports our plans. That’s obviously something we’re going to miss tremendously," said Reef, who named Davide Piganzoli as his replacement.

So how is Van Aert doing now? “At the same time, we have to consider his health. Given his situation—and the fact that he had to withdraw from the Dauphiné—we unfortunately had to make the decision not to let him start next month.”

"His recovery is continuing to go well. He was back on his bike yesterday, but it will still take some time before he’s back to his old self," Reef concludes. Van Aert normally also rides the Vuelta a España and, later, the World Championships.