Is it goodbye to Fabio Aru? It looks like that is the case, for now, according to reports in his native Italy.

Italian media claims Fabio Aru to miss Tour de France

Reports in Italy suggest Fabio Aru is taking a break from racing and plans to miss the Tour de France.

The Italian national champion will also not ride the championships next weekend in defence of his title.

A number of Italian media outlets report Aru’s physical condition is poor after the Giro.

He abandoned that race in the final week. And having undergone tests of late, a break from racing was advised.

The Italian press is reporting he also may not ride the Vuelta; a race he won in 2015.

Aru is still being linked with a leading role in the Italian team at the World Road Championships in Innsbruck.

However, if his break from top level racing is set to be as long as reported, it is unclear how well prepared he would be for the hilly course.

Both Dan Martin and Aru signed for UAE Team Emirates at the end of last season; Martin for two years and Aru for three.

It was intended Martin would lead the team at the Tour and Aru at the Giro.

However, while Aru pressed ahead with the Giro plan, he abandoned on stage 19 after a poor showing.

And even before the season got under the team refused to rule Aru out of riding the Tour after the Giro.

Riding the Tour de France with Fabio Aru may not be a disaster for Martin. But the race would very likely be more straightforward for the Irish rider if he was the sole leader for the overall. With his form coming good and with better support in place than he enjoyed in previous Tour's, he has a great chance next month.

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Dan Martin had joined UAE Team Emirates specifically for team leadership at the Tour.

And when the team began floating the possibility Aru would also ride in France, it looked like bad news for Martin.

But now the Italian media is reporting Aru is opting out of racing for a period to recover from unspecified “physical problems”.

The news should make Martin’s Tour a lot simpler. And it comes at a time when his form is coming good.

He had a poor early season but two weeks ago took his first victory of 2018.

The 31-year-old claimed stage 5 of the Critérium du Dauphiné (2.UWT). And he went on to put in a strong ride overall.

Earlier in the race he had lost time in the prologue and team time trial.

And he slumped to 45^th overall, some 2:57 off the race lead. He lost most of that time, 2:28, in the team test on stage 3.

However, he finished in the top three on each of the following three stages. And on the final stage placed 6^th.

Those performances over the four mountain stages saw him climb to 4^th in the final standings.

He completed the race 2:35 off overall winner Geraint Thomas (Team Sky).

Dan Martin priority is Tour de France

The composition of the UAE Team Emirates line-up for the Tour de France is crucial for Martin.

He has put in two terrific rides in the race over the past two seasons; 6^th last year and 9^th in 2016.

His placing last season came despite a very heavy fall on stage 8. After the race Martin was diagnosed with fractured vertebrae from that crash.

He said last year he believed his best years were ahead of him. Furthermore, the Tour has been his stated aim this season.

And if Aru was on the start line of the Tour it would mean Martin sharing team leadership; which rarely works well in cycling.