UPDATE - No fractures, but Visma cannot confirm Edoardo Affini's presence at Tour de France following nationals' crash

Team Visma | Lease a Bike encounter yet another obstacle in their pursuit of Tour de France success. After both Wout van Aert and Christophe Laporte have been sidelined from the Grand Boucle due to injuries, the team is at risk of losing Edoardo Affini as well after a crash at the Italian time trial national championships.

The Dutch team has replaced Laporte with Per Strand Hagenes to fill in a similar role; and Wout Van Aert with Davide Piganzoli who thrived at the Giro. The team has big goals for the mountains, but the Tour can be lost on any given day and Jonas Vingegaard requires support from the rouleurs and classics specialists of the team to remain well positioned in the flat and hilly days of the race.

Hence, even after racing the Giro d'Italia, it was always the plan for Affini to race the Tour de France. The Italian rider has become a key member of the Dane's block, performing best on the flat days both to chase breakaways but specially to aid in the fights for positioning throughout the three weeks.

This afternoon in Barolo, the 40-kilometer time trial crowned Filippo Ganna as the Italian national champion once again. His main competitor on the day was the Visma rider, but according to RAI he crashed 6 kilometers into his effort.

The signs are not good. As reported by Davide Lessi, the time trial specialist was conscious but was carried out of the race in an ambulance, raising fears of an injury at a time where the Grand Depart is only nine days away.

A fracture would lead to an inevitable change to Visma's lineup, one that was already confirmed earlier this week. But even if this is not the case, Affini's form and level may be heavily affected, even if he is still able to be at the start of the Tour. More updates are expected from the Dutch team later this afternoon.

This Wednesday evening, the Dutch team has shared a message on the current status of Affini. They confirm there were no diagnosed fractures, with the team also writing nothing about any meaningful injury, providing hope for a fast recovery.

"Affini crashed heavily during the Italian National Time Trial Championships and was taken to hospital. He never lost consciousness," they shared on X. "Examinations at the hospital showed that no fractures were sustained. Over the coming days, his recovery will be monitored".

Over the coming days we should learn about the Italian's health more deeply and whether he will still be able to be at the Grand Depart in Barcelona.