Van Aert’s Tour de France Hopes in Jeopardy After Infection
Belgian cycling star Wout van Aert faces a significant setback just weeks before the Tour de France, as medical tests have confirmed that a wound on his elbow has become infected. The 31-year-old Visma-Lease a Bike rider has been forced off the bike for several days, and his planned altitude training camp in Tignes — scheduled to begin Monday — is now in doubt, casting uncertainty over his participation in the Tour de France starting July 4 in Barcelona.
The Injury Timeline
Van Aert’s troubles began on June 1 when he crashed on his time trial bike during training, sustaining wounds to his elbow and knee. Despite the injury, he started the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes (the renamed Critérium du Dauphiné) on June 7 with visible bandages, initially downplaying the severity.
What followed was a week of dramatic highs and lows. Van Aert struggled in the early stages, dropping early from the team time trial on Stage 3 and acknowledging a form dip. But on Thursday, June 11, he produced a stunning victory in Stage 5, winning a mass sprint for his first road victory since Paris-Roubaix. He later described it as mentally one of his most difficult wins, fighting through significant elbow pain.
Infection Discovered
The triumph was short-lived. On Friday morning, Van Aert did not start Stage 6. Team director Maarten Wynants confirmed that the elbow swelling had worsened overnight despite treatment with compression bandages and ice. Van Aert returned to Belgium for medical tests.
On Saturday, those tests revealed the worst-case scenario: the wound had become infected. According to Het Laatste Nieuws, Van Aert must now stay off the bike for several days while the infection is treated.
“It’s been a rollercoaster of emotions,” Wynants told Sporza. “Yesterday during the race he already came to the car with elbow pain — it looked quite swollen. After the race it got worse.” The team director added: “The wound isn’t healing. It’s a mystery to us why it’s suddenly worse than earlier this week.”
Altitude Training in Doubt
The immediate casualty is Van Aert’s planned altitude training camp in Tignes, French Alps, which was scheduled to begin on Monday, June 15. No decision has been made about whether he will travel. The camp represents a critical fitness-building block just three weeks before the Tour de France.
Also in question is the Belgian National Road Race Championships on June 26, another key fixture on Van Aert’s pre-Tour schedule.
Tour de France Implications
The Tour de France starts on July 4 in Barcelona, leaving Van Aert less than three weeks to recover, regain fitness, and complete his preparation. Wynants struck a cautious tone: “We first need to see that the elbow gets better, and then it’s step by step. After that we’ll rebuild the planning.”
Van Aert is a key rider for Visma-Lease a Bike in the Tour, both as a stage hunter and as a domestique for the team’s general classification ambitions. The team has already been hit by illness during the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, with multiple riders abandoning.
Unlike some of his teammates, Van Aert is not sick — the issue is strictly the infected elbow wound. However, an infection requiring antibiotics and enforced rest at this critical juncture could prove devastating to his preparation.
What’s Next
The coming days will be crucial. Medical staff will monitor how the infection responds to treatment. If Van Aert can begin antibiotics quickly and the infection is superficial, he may still salvage his preparation. But if the infection is deeper or requires extended treatment, his Tour de France participation could be in serious jeopardy.
For a rider who has already overcome a horrific crash at the 2024 Vuelta a España and fought his way back to win Paris-Roubaix in 2026, this latest setback is another cruel twist. Belgian cycling fans will be watching closely as one of their country’s greatest talents fights to be ready for the world’s biggest race.