Christophe Laporte opens up on difficult virus diagnosis: “It hurts to sit at home during my favourite races”
Cycling
Christophe Laporte has yet to make his 2025 season debut,
and unfortunately, it doesn’t appear likely that will change any time soon. The
32-year-old Frenchman, one of the most dependable and versatile riders in the
peloton, has been sidelined by illness since January, missing the races he
typically builds his season around.
In a press release issued by his team, Team Visma | Lease a Bike,
Laporte provided an update on his condition. “It hurts to have to sit at home
in front of the TV during my favourite races,” he admitted. “Things are going
in the right direction, but I'm still tired and have to take it easy.”
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Laporte revealed that just before departing for a planned
altitude training camp at the end of January, he began to feel unwell. After
medical testing, he was diagnosed with cytomegalovirus (CMV), a type of
herpesvirus. “I didn’t feel well just before I was going to go on a high
altitude training camp at the end of January. Tests showed that I had the
cytomegalovirus,” Laporte explained.
Cytomegalovirus is a common virus in the herpes family. In
most healthy adults, it presents no symptoms and may remain dormant for life.
However, in certain cases (particularly when the immune system is under stress,
or in athletes pushing their physical limits) the virus can become active and
lead to prolonged fatigue, muscle aches, and a general feeling of unwellness.
For elite athletes, the consequences can be especially disruptive, with
long-lasting effects on performance and recovery timelines.
That uncertainty is what makes this setback particularly
challenging for Laporte. “I have to take it day by day. The annoying thing is
that you can’t say how long it will take,” he said. “With a broken bone, you
know approximately how long it will take to be able to train again. With this
virus, you can’t say that in advance and that makes it mentally difficult.”
Laporte, who was European champion in 2023 and an integral
part of Visma’s Classics core, has been forced to watch from the sidelines as
his teammates take on the spring calendar without him.
For the second year in a row, illness has derailed his
spring preparations, something he’s found particularly frustrating. “This is
the second year in a row that I am sidelined during this period and I am very
upset about it. It feels bizarre,” he said. “At the same time, I have also
accepted the situation: the only thing I can do now is rest and wait until it
gets better.”
Despite his disappointment, Laporte has remained supportive
of his teammates as the team continues its push in the cobbled and hilly
one-day races. “As much as it hurts me to have to watch the races on TV, I am
really looking forward to seeing the team perform something great during the
classics. I will be the biggest supporter of my teammates.”
While his presence is missed in races like Milano-Sanremo,
the Tour of Flanders, and Paris-Roubaix (events where Laporte typically excels)
the Frenchman is keeping a long-term view of his recovery. “I also realize that
the season is still long and that there are still many great races after the
spring classics,” he added.
Laporte is no stranger to making successful comebacks. “Last
year I also missed most of the spring, but then I won an Olympic medal and won
Paris-Tours. I am holding on to that.”
So, bad news indeed for Laporte and Visma fans. It’s been a
difficult start to 2025 for the team without Laporte, and they would have been
hoping for much better news about his return. We wish him all the best in his
recovery.
Fin MajorCycling Journalist
Fin Major is a UK-based writer at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2024. He is the site’s main writer for FAQs and evergreen explainers and has written around 2,000 pieces for the platform. Alongside this work, he focuses on in-depth analysis and covers the biggest races on the calendar, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, providing clear context around performance trends, tactics, and key storylines.
In his reporting, Fin uses reputable data sources such as ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available. Outside of writing, Fin is an active cyclist, which supports his practical understanding of the sport and its demands.
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- many people advise him to grow slowly and rather do giro and/or vuelta instead of tdf. but i can totally understand that he is not satisfied with taking over once pogi declines, but instead beat him in his prime. so if he goes for tdf again, i‘m all for it. let‘s hope that pogi recovers soon!Ketterechts07-11-2026
- So gracious to offer something no-one would be prepared to pay for. The Giro is not the Tour and doesn’t command the same interest or attract the same “elite” (those willing to pay to be a part of something they consider has ego boosting potential). Roadside viewing will always largely remain free for everyone outside circuits. Introduction of a symbolic entrance to mountain climbs is worthy of exploration. Asking 1-2€ isn’t going to repulse real fans (most will spend 50-100€ on their outing that day all things included) but will prevent a portion of the total knobhead thrillseekers who will join in any large gathering as long as it’s free, just because they’re attracted to crowds, without which it it difficult for them to work up their anti-social behaviour.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- How is radio going to help when someone went over a cliff or bridge or off the roadside into a forest unnoticed and is laying there unconscious?Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- Yep, next we’ll be accusing F1 drivers of avoiding Le Mans.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- But on what is that opinion based? Are you holding him to a different standard than others? Are you saying he should do learn to like something he doesn’t Are you saying he hasn’t achieved enough Are you saying he pretends to be better than his results? It’s actually a really strange opinion to oust if you consider it objectively or rationally. Try applying it to others or yourself by asking if not EVERYONE should then be doing more? Nobody in athletics or swimming gets criticism for not expanding their repertoire when a rival or someone else does. In fact, most who move to another event get accused of running from their rival. Opinions are boring, the reasons behind them are what count.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- for a medical chief to throw things like is just bad. There are already radios which were banned for spectacle. allow radios. Gps trackers are not a complete solutionabstractengineer07-11-2026
- Yeah man...PogiSloFans07-11-2026
- any rider less than 25 whether they are really ready for the position of leadership of GT is probably not the case. I think Pogi himself suffered when he was defeated by Jonas in the TDF twice. But that would be the team's job to ensure support so that they can bounce back. It requires a team and time to get back up and win after getting knocked down.abstractengineer07-11-2026
- I'm very glad he got the big late Quickstep Vuelta win and I hope he has a few left for Euskaltel-Euskadi.flyer07-11-2026
- My memories of Ivan Basso aren't good but I liked his sister Elisa ok.flyer07-11-2026
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