Van Aert skips the altitude training camp, and Visma admits concerns ahead of the Tour

The preparation of Wout van Aert for the 2026 Tour de France has suffered a new setback. The Belgian from Visma Lease a Bike did not travel this Monday to the altitude training camp that his team had planned in Tignes, an absence that confirms that the problems arising from the injury to his elbow continue to affect his path towards the Grand Départ in Barcelona.

The infection in the elbow forces Van Aert to skip the team's altitude training: his preparation for the Tour is affected, but it could be the only option to arrive

The news did not come as a surprise within the team. After his withdrawal from the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, the sports director Maarten Wynants had already indicated that Van Aert would need several days of rest due to the infection developed in the wound on his elbow, a consequence of the fall he suffered during a training session with his time trial bike just days before the start of the French race.

For the moment, Visma is avoiding setting specific deadlines for his return to normal activity. “We are evaluating it day by day,” the Dutch formation stated when asked about the possibility of Van Aert joining the training camp later.

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The absence in Tignes represents another blow to the Belgian's preparation. After withdrawing before the sixth stage of the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, Van Aert has already missed three days of high-altitude training that could have served as an important training block for the Tour. Now, he also sees a key altitude training camp in his planning altered.

Visma acknowledges the concern

Within the team, they do not hide that the situation generates anxiety. Maarten Wynants acknowledged that the margin for maneuver was already limited even before this setback.

“We already knew he didn't have much margin. He was below the baseline, and this certainly won't help. The most important thing now is that he fully recovers,” Wynants explained in statements reported by Het Nieuwsblad.

However, there are also positive signs. After the medical treatments carried out in recent days, the wound has been cleaned, and the inflammation has noticeably decreased. Furthermore, within the team, they consider it possible that the infection was already developing during the first days of the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, which could explain the poor performance Van Aert showed at the start of the race and that at the time had no clear explanation.

A time trial race to reach Barcelona

With less than three weeks until the start of the Tour de France, time is starting to become the main enemy for the Belgian rider. The situation is particularly delicate because this year's edition will start in Barcelona with a team time trial, a discipline in which Van Aert usually plays a fundamental role within the Visma structure.

As explained by his representative, Jef Van Den Bosch, the aerodynamic position on the extensions during the team time trial of the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes would have aggravated the existing irritation in the injured elbow.

The uncertainty about his evolution remains high. Van Aert has been part of all Visma teams in the Tour since 2019, accumulating ten stage wins, a green jersey, and a decisive role in Jonas Vingegaard's final victories in 2022 and 2023.

Now, his presence at the start in Barcelona is not ruled out, but it is more compromised than ever. In fact, when Het Nieuwsblad asked Maarten Wynants if time was seriously becoming a concern for Van Aert, the response was as brief as it was revealing: “Yes, you could say that.”