Wout van Aert misses Tour de France, leaving Vingegaard without key joker

Wout van Aert announced he will not start the Tour de France after the infection in his elbow failed to heal in time. The Belgian’s absence removes the most versatile rider from the race, a key asset for team Visma–Lease a Bike.

Jonas Vingegaard, who is aiming to challenge Tadej Pogacar again, now loses his primary joker, forcing the squad to rethink its strategy for flat stages and breakaways. The reshuffle adds uncertainty to the opening week of the Tour.