Belgium’s Wout van Aert is set to miss next month’s Tour de France with an elbow injury.
The 31-year-old, who won the Paris-Roubaix in April, is a key rider for his team Visma alongside four-time Grand Tour winner Jonas Vingegaard.
Van Aert suffered the injury after falling in training before last week’s Tour Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes stage race in France and an infection developed in his elbow.
“The Tour de France is one of my main goals every year. Unfortunately, a crash during training has put a spanner in the works and the injury to my elbow has worsened and has still not healed sufficiently,” said Van Aert.
According to a statement from Visma, the wound was cleaned in hospital, where he spent “one night under observation” but it has failed to heal in time.
Van Aert is often seen as the nearly man in a golden era of stand-out talents and had been in good form after beating four-time Tour de France champion Tadej Pogacar at the Paris-Roubaix.
Visma will announce Van Aert’s replacement on 23 June with the Tour de France set to start in Barcelona on 4 July.