BREAKING: Wout van Aert to miss Giro d'Italia; Christophe Laporte in as replacement to Team Visma | Lease a Bike lineup

After his horror crash at Dwars Door Vlaanderen left Wout van Aert with broken ribs and a broken collarbone among other injuries, he was always facing a race against time to recover for his planned Giro d'Italia debut. Sadly, it's a battle he's lost.

"Hello everyone, I'm really happy to tell you that I'm doing well. I'm recovering from all my injuries at the moment, after my crash in Dwars Door Vlaanderen," the Belgian superstar begins in an update to his condition posted to the social pages of Team Visma | Lease a Bike. "We've seen a lot of injuries are quite good at the moment but my ribs are still a limiting factor."

Because of this, van Aert's planned Giro d'Italia debut will have to be put on hold. "At this point, I cannot train at all. I'm trying to do my first pedal strokes on the bike but it's not enough to be able to train," van Aert explains. "That is why we've made the decision to not start in the Giro d'Italia."

"It's a big shame. I'm really disappointed to miss also my second big goal of the season. But at this moment I need to prioritise my health and I need to give my body the time to recover, " he concludes.

After the prior announcement that Wilco Kelderman will also miss the Giro due to injury, it's another bitter blow for Team Visma | Lease a Bike. However, in the form of European Champion, Christophe Laporte, the team has a top-quality operator in as a replacement.