"With a broken bone, you know how long recovery will take. With this virus, you have no idea" - Christophe Laporte opens up on hellish battle with cytomegalovirus

Christophe Laporte is no stranger to suffering. As a Classics specialist, it comes with the territory — rain-slicked cobbles, crosswinds in northern France, and the brutal chess match of positioning and timing. But nothing in his career prepared him for the relentless uncertainty of cytomegalovirus, a condition that forced the Frenchman off the bike for five months and plunged his 2025 season into disarray.

The 32-year-old ended 2024 in style with victory at Paris–Tours, seemingly poised for another strong spring campaign with Team Visma | Lease a Bike. But just as his preparation began in earnest, his body hit the brakes.

“Just before I was due to go on a high-altitude camp at the end of January, I started feeling unwell,” Laporte recalls in conversation with In de Leiderstrui. “Tests showed I had cytomegalovirus. With a broken bone, you know how long recovery will take. With this virus, you have no idea — and that’s what makes it mentally so tough.”

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is a common and often dormant virus, typically harmless to healthy adults. But in Laporte’s case, it lingered and flared, draining him of the resilience that defines elite cyclists. “I developed a fever and was left extremely fatigued,” he says. “At first, I felt tired all day. Even just working in the garden would exhaust me. At one point, I thought things were getting better — but then I suffered a setback again.”

From the outside, Laporte’s name disappeared from startlists. Inside the Visma camp, the reality was more sobering. He spent months effectively sidelined, watching the Spring Classics — the races closest to his heart — from his sofa. “It was painful to watch the Classics on TV,” he admits. “They mean the most to me — and at that point, I was at my lowest with the virus. Week after week I hoped for signs of improvement, but they just weren’t coming. Or at least, not the way I’d hoped.”

The longer the recovery dragged on, the clearer it became: the Tour de France was slipping out of reach. “After the Classics, I realised making the Tour was going to be very difficult. We made the call to stop focusing on racing and just prioritise my health. I knew I needed to get that good feeling back first.”

Laporte’s comeback has been methodical. Caution replaced intensity. “We started to build things up slowly — one day on the bike, then a rest day. Two hours, then three. Small steps,” he explains. “But as the process continued, I started to feel better.”

By July, he rejoined his teammates at altitude in Tignes, then returned to competition at the ADAC Cyclassics in Hamburg. Though still far from his best, he’s grateful just to be back. “Things are okay now — not quite where they need to be, but improving. It’s only since early July that I’ve started to feel like myself again.”

The lingering nature of CMV means questions remain. Could the virus return? Laporte doesn’t pretend to have the answers. “I feel good now, and I’m happy to be racing again. I don’t know if the virus can come back — I’m no specialist — but I’ve developed the necessary antibodies. Hopefully, my body knows how to fight it off if needed.”

Laporte’s 2025 goals have shifted. With five months lost to illness, the campaign has become more about laying foundations than chasing results. But that doesn’t mean he’s ruling anything out. “Hopefully I can build some form and carry that into the off-season. If I can get a result before the year’s out, that would be a bonus. Paris–Tours? Let’s hope so.”

He’s also due to race the Bretagne Classic this Sunday, a gruelling WorldTour event on home soil. He knows he’s not yet in condition to chase personal glory — but he's optimistic about contributing to the team. “It’s a tough, long race and always special to race in France. In top shape, I’d go for a result myself. But right now, I’m focused on helping the team. Last weekend I was pretty pleased with what I could already contribute, and the Bretagne Classic will be a good test of my endurance.”

There’s no bravado in Laporte’s words. Just quiet determination. The same racecraft and grit that made him a vital cog in Wout van Aert’s lead-out and a winner in his own right remain intact. But the last few months have reshaped his perspective.

“As a rider, you always want more,” he says. “But cycling is hard, and it takes a lot of training to be at your best. I’m motivated to get back to playing a role in the finales again. The coming races are a chance to take more steps forward.”

For a rider who thrives in the margins — where timing, power, and poise intersect — Laporte’s greatest victory this year may already be behind him: the victory over uncertainty.