Wout van Aert ruled out of 2026 Tour de France

Belgian cycling star Wout van Aert will not compete in the 2026 Tour de France after failing to recover from an elbow injury, his Team Visma Lease a Bike confirmed on Wednesday, June 17. The decision deals a significant blow to the team's strategy for the race, which begins on July 4.

Van Aert's hopes were derailed by a training crash a week before the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes earlier this month. The situation worsened when an infection developed in the wound on his elbow. After spending a night in hospital this week for treatment and observation, the team's medical staff, coaches, and Van Aert jointly concluded that a full recovery ahead of the Tour was not possible.

"This is of course a big disappointment," Van Aert said. "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. Together with the team, we have concluded that starting the Tour in top form is not feasible at this point."

The Belgian rider had been a central figure in Team Visma Lease a Bike's plans, valued both as a versatile stage-winning threat and as a critical...