Wout van Aert will return to competitive racing at the Tour of Denmark on Wednesday, July 29, following a lengthy recovery from a severe elbow infection that forced him to miss the Tour de France, according to reports from Flemish outlets Het Laatste Nieuws and Het Nieuwsblad.
The Belgian star was forced to withdraw from the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes and subsequently missed the Tour de France after a pre-training crash at the event formerly known as the Dauphiné led to an unexpected wound infection. Visma-Lease a Bike adjusted his schedule after the injury prevented him from training properly and disrupted his altitude camp preparations.
Tour of Denmark Preparation for the Vuelta a España
Van Aert has spent recent weeks ramping up his training in Italy, including a notable six-hour gravel ride near Livigno, to rebuild his fitness ahead of the Spanish Grand Tour. According to Het Laatste Nieuws and Het Nieuwsblad, he will contest all five stages of the Tour of Denmark, running from Aalborg to Rødovre.
The 29-year-old has only raced the Danish stage race once previously in his professional career. During his debut appearance in 2018 with Vérandas Willems-Crelan, Van Aert secured the overall race victory, won the second stage to Vejle, and supported sprinter Tim Merlier in capturing two stage wins and the points jersey.
Prior 2024 Season Form and Future Championship Goals
Before his elbow complications interrupted his campaign, Van Aert secured a bunch sprint victory on stage 5 of the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes. That performance added to his major spring highlight in April, where he defeated Tadej Pogačar inside the velodrome to win Paris-Roubaix.
Following the Tour of Denmark, Van Aert targets an appearance at the Vuelta a España starting August 22. His 2024 debut at the Spanish race yielded three stage wins before a crash on stage 16 ended his participation. Later in the autumn, Van Aert is slated to represent Belgium at the World Championships in Montreal, Canada, joining a national road race squad structured to challenge riders including Pogačar.
Keep reading