Team Visma | Lease a Bike ended today their cobbled classics campaign without a noteworthy result, a consequence of many injuries and illnesses that have affected them over the past month. But the situation may get worst; DS Merijn Zeeman confirms that Wout van Aert is on a tight schedule to race the Giro d'Italia and Jonas Vingegaard's chances of missing the Tour de France are growing.
“I received an update today from Jonas Vingegaard's wife about how he is doing. Relatively a little better each day, but he is still in the hospital. That says enough," team DS Merijn Zeeman, recently confirmed to leave the team at the end of the season, confirmed in words to Het Nieuwsblad. "At the moment, Jonas is not thinking about whether he will make it to the Tour or not."
The schedule is not yet tight. The Grand Boucle is still over two and a half months away, but it is a difficult journey that Vingegaard has to traverse. Assuming that he will recover to full health, this will take require at least a few weeks, likely over a month to be able to cycle normally once again after suffering a broken collarbone, several ribs and a punctured lung. It is a traumatic list of injuries that he suffered in the horrific mass crash that took place at Itzulia Basque Country. The Dane has not yet left the hospital at the moment.
His run-up to the Tour will be changed that is already a certainty, but his participation as the defending champion itself is in doubt. “Jonas only goes to the Tour if he is one hundred percent. The first part of his possible Tour preparation will be canceled anyway. Jonas will certainly miss the altitude training camp on the Sierra Nevada from May 6," Zeeman already anticipates. "If he goes to the Tour, we will have to do it via a different route. If it doesn't work, we'll have to come up with a different scenario.” The Dane was expected to follow his traditional run-up to the Tour with altitude, Criterium du Dauphiné... At the time being there is no definition on when he will return to competition.
But he is not the only one. Wout van Aert is still off the bike for the time being as well, as his plan of riding the Giro d'Italia is also still far from secure - besides the point that reaching it with good form is virtually confirmed not to happen. But if the Belgian is not capable of getting back on the bike over the coming two weeks, the Corsa Rosa will surely be erased from his schedule.
“It's starting to get very short notice for Wout and the Giro. This week we hope to gain insight into what is possible for Wout and what is not," Zeeman tells. "One thing is clear. When he starts in the Giro, it is at one hundred percent. You don't send a rider like that to a big tour just to ride along."
🇪🇸 #Itzulia2024 Update on Jonas: It was a nasty crash, but fortunately he is stable and conscious. Examinations at the hospital have revealed that he has a broken collarbone and several broken ribs. He remains in hospital as a precaution. Thank you for all your messages. ❤️
