Don't expect Christophe Laporte back any time soon, say Visma: "Let me put it this way, his problem has not yet been solved"
Cycling
Christophe Laporte remains one of the few big-name riders
yet to make his 2025 debut, but Team Visma | Lease a Bike has now confirmed
that his absence will continue, with no clear timeline for his return to
racing. The Frenchman had been hoping to line up at Milano-Sanremo this
weekend, but those plans have now been ruled out.
"Christophe is not fit enough to race," team
manager Maarten Wynants told Wielerflits ahead of the race. "And
actually, we can't really set a date for when he will return. We hope as soon
as possible, of course, but Christophe also has to be well enough before he can
return to competition."
Alongside Remco Evenepoel, Laporte is one of the biggest
names in the peloton who has yet to race in 2025. The season is now well
underway, and Laporte is still waiting for his 2025 debut.
Before the Opening Weekend a few weeks ago, Visma had
already indicated that Laporte had not been able to complete the training
sessions the team had planned for him. There was hope that he could return in
time for the first monument of the year, but Wynants confirmed that he remains
unable to perform at the necessary level. "He is not fit enough for that
either. That is where it starts. He first has to be fit enough to be able to
train."
Laporte's prolonged absence has raised concerns that his
struggles may be linked to lingering after-effects of the serious virus
infection he suffered earlier in the year. However, Wynants declined to go into
detail, citing privacy regulations. "I am not allowed to elaborate on
medical matters based on privacy legislation. That is difficult these
days," he said. "Let me put it this way: his problem has not yet been
solved."
With his absence from Milano-Sanremo now confirmed,
attention has turned to whether Laporte will be able to salvage his spring
campaign, particularly with the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix approaching.
However, Wynants was unwilling to make any concrete predictions about when he
might return.
"We can’t really say anything concrete about that at
the moment," he admitted. "We still hope that he will be able to ride
part of the race, but that is difficult to say. I know that the public and
journalists like to hear about the chance in percentages. We can’t do that.
Christophe has to be fit first, and then we can only load him 100%. It will all
depend on how quickly that happens. Where he is now? That is difficult to
say."
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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