It’s a blessing in disguise for Visma-Lease a Bike. Affected by a multitude of injuries, such as that of their leader Jonas Vingegaard, seriously injured during the Tour of the Basque Country, the Dutch team confirmed the withdrawal for the Giro of its other captain, Wout van Aert, who suffered a serious accident during À Travers. Flanders.
In return, Team Visma recovers Christophe Laporte, back at the highest level, after being ill and then having perineal surgery last March. The 32-year-old French rider will therefore start the Giro at the beginning of May in place of the Belgian, who is still physically too weak.
First Giro for Laporte
“My injuries are on track. But my ribs still prevent me from being able to train normally. This is why we made the decision not to line me up at the start of the Tour of Italy,” explained the former cyclo-cross world champion.
In his place, Visma will therefore have Christophe Laporte at his disposal, who has just returned to competition during Paris-Roubaix with a 25th place. “It was unexpected. I’m already happy to be here, to have finished the race,” he told the Var Matin newspaper. Next objective therefore, the Giro, which he will discover for the first time.