"It hasn't been the easiest weeks to accept this disappointment" - Steven Kruijswijk on missing the Tour due to injury

Steven Kruijswijk had to forget about racing Tour de France after crashing out of Critérium du Dauphiné along with teammate Dylan van Baarle. Now the Dutchman hopes the streak of bad luck for his team is coming to an end.

Kruijswijk suffered a broken hip - an injury that will see him stay away from action in near future. "Unfortunately I will not be at the start of the Tour this weekend," opened Visma | Lease a Bike's important mountain domestique on his Instagram.

"It hasn't been the easiest weeks to accept this disappointment, but thanks to my family and friends I can look forward again," the 37-year-old Kruijswijk says. "There will always be moments that you can celebrate and look forward to."

Several teammates, including Wout van Aert and Matteo Jorgenson, encouraged Kruijswijk in their reactions under the post. The experienced Dutchman has one more year on his contract with Visma | Lease a Bike, but whether he'll continue to race beyond 2025 remains to be seen.