“In the Giro it was a lot worse” – Wout van Aert set to be ready for Tour de France despite illness
Cycling
Just as he did before the Giro d’Italia in May, Wout van
Aert has fallen ill in the final days before a Grand Tour. The Belgian star was
absent from the national championships over the weekend due to a stomach flu,
with concerns briefly surfacing over his availability for the Tour de France,
which begins this Saturday.
Van Aert’s team, Team Visma | Lease a Bike, confirmed the
setback came unexpectedly. “It also came as a bolt from the blue for us,” said
team manager Maarten Wynants to VTM. “The training camp went well and there
were no indications. I saw him this morning and he didn’t look well. We are not
taking any risks towards the Tour, which will be here very soon. Or the Tour de
France in jeopardy? Today was certainly not good enough to start. But stomach
flu comes unexpectedly and hopefully will pass quickly.”
The timing mirrors Van Aert’s misfortune earlier this year,
when he fell ill directly before the start of the Giro. But there is more
optimism this time that the setback is short-term.
His close friend Daan Soete was quick to shut down any
suggestion the illness was a convenient excuse to skip the Belgian
Championships. “I was still in touch with Wout on Saturday and he was up for
the BK. He felt good, so the news was a surprise to us too. I heard that he has
stomach flu and that his entire family had it too.”
Soete added that Van Aert had been looking forward to
racing. “The course suited him and such a final race is always good towards the
Tour. Wout also wanted to become champion and always has ambition for this.
It’s not like he knew it beforehand.”
He also pushed back against the idea that Van Aert’s
recurring issues before major races are cause for concern. “Your search for top
form is a fine line. The better you get, the sharper you are, and if you come
into contact with people, you can get sick more quickly.”
“In the Giro it was a lot worse and Wout came out of it
well,” Soete said. “So he can handle something. Nobody has to fear the start of
the Tour. If it is resolved within two days, then you lose very little.
Sometimes extra rest can’t hurt. That’s how it is now, then you just have to
use this to get some extra rest. It will probably be fine.”
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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