Jul 20, 2023 at 09:06Update: 16 minutes ago
Wout van Aert will no longer start in the eighteenth stage of the Tour de France. The Belgian all-rounder from Jumbo-Visma is leaving the largest cycling race in the world to be able to attend the birth of his wife.
Van Aert had already said a few times that he would go home immediately when the child is on the way. That is now the case. Yellow jersey wearer Jonas Vingegaard, who has the overall victory up for grabs, loses an important helper.
“It’s a strange feeling, but not a dilemma,” says Van Aert about his choice to leave the Tour. “It’s an easy decision to make. I’ve always envisioned going home when my wife needs me. That moment has come.”
More than a week ago, Lidl-Trek rider Mattias Skjelmose caused some commotion by spreading a rumor that Van Aert would already leave the Tour. That was wrong.
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Van Aert grabbed next to a stage win
In addition to his executioner work for Vingegaard, Van Aert hoped to win a stage this Tour, but the Belgian failed to do so. He was second twice (including in the stage won by Wout Poels) and third twice.
Van Aert leaves the Tour now that the most important work seems to be over. Vingegaard gave his competitor Tadej Pogacar a new blow in the queen stage on Wednesday and is now more than 7.5 minutes ahead of the Slovenian in the standings.
The Tour de France continues on Thursday with a stage in which the sprinters once again seem to have a turn. Sunday is traditionally finished on the Champs-Élysées.
2023-07-20 07:06:00
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