Wout van Aert Misses Tour de France Due to Elbow Injury

Belgian cycling star Wout van Aert will miss the 2026 Tour de France after a lingering infected elbow injury failed to heal in time, breaking a seven-year streak of consecutive participations in cycling’s biggest race. The 31-year-old Visma | Lease a Bike rider made the announcement on June 17, confirming that top form was simply not achievable.

“This is of course a big disappointment,” van Aert said in a team statement. “The Tour de France is one of my main goals every year. Unfortunately, a crash during training has put a spanner in the works, and the injury to my elbow has worsened and has still not healed sufficiently.”

How the Injury Unfolded

The trouble began on June 1 when van Aert crashed during training on his time trial bike, sustaining what was initially described as a minor abrasion on his elbow. He started the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes (formerly the Critérium du Dauphiné) on June 7 with bandaged elbow and knee, and even won Stage 5 in a mass sprint on June 11.

But the wound took a turn for the worse. According to Sporza, the aero position on his time trial bike during the team time trial aggravated the irritation. By June 12, the wound had become infected, forcing him to abandon the race. This week, the wound was cleaned in hospital and he stayed overnight for observation.

Sports director Maarten Wynants described the situation at the time: “The wound is not healing. It’s a mystery to us why it suddenly got worse than earlier this week.”

A Major Blow for Visma | Lease a Bike

Van Aert’s absence leaves a significant gap in the team’s Tour de France lineup. Race coach Marc Reef acknowledged the impact: “Wout is one of the most important riders in our team and we would obviously have loved to have him at the start of the Tour. In recent days we have explored all options, but ultimately his health comes first.”

Belgian cycling analyst José De Cauwer put it more bluntly to Sporza: “Wout simply is Visma. Not just for winning races, but also towards the press. Since his victory in Paris-Roubaix, he’s more popular than ever.”

Van Aert has been a fixture at the Tour since his debut in 2019, accumulating 10 stage wins and wearing the green points jersey in 2022. His versatility as a sprinter, time trialist, and domestique for team leader Jonas Vingegaard made him indispensable. The team will announce his replacement on June 23.

Silver Lining: World Championship Opportunity

While the news is devastating for Belgian cycling fans, analysts see a potential upside. The UCI World Championship road race takes place on September 27 in Montreal, Canada, on a course that commentators describe as tailor-made for van Aert.

“Even before his elbow misery, I had the idea that the Tour wasn’t the most important race of the year for Wout,” De Cauwer said. “I had the feeling he would partly use the Tour as preparation for the World Championships. Because there’s a unique opportunity waiting.”

Fellow commentator Christophe Vandegoor agreed: “The World Championship course in Canada is tailor-made for him. There’s a very big chance there to become world champion.”

The Vuelta a España (August 22 - September 13) also remains a possible target for van Aert’s return to racing before the World Championships.

What’s Next

Van Aert’s full focus is now on recovery. “My full focus is on my recovery so I can return to my best level later this season,” he said. The team has emphasized that health comes first, and the decision to skip the Tour was made jointly by van Aert, medical staff, and performance coaches.

For Belgian cycling fans, the hope now shifts from July’s Grand Départ in Barcelona to a potential rainbow jersey in Montreal this September. As Vandegoor put it: “Imagine if van Aert wins the world title in Canada — then Visma | Lease a Bike can say it was the right decision not to send him to the Tour.”