Jonas Vingegaard and Wout van Aert have been confirmed by their Visma-Lease a Bike team to ride the Tour de France after battling back from crashes early in the season.
While there was some doubt expressed by the team, up to recent days, about Vingegaard's participation, he was always expected to ride.
And now the only doubt is how competitive he can be after suffering multiple fractures and a punctured lung in the Itzulia Basque Country crash in early April, and not having raced since then.
Van Aert crashed a week earlier, at Dwars door Vlaanderen, and though he also suffered multiple broken bones, he rode the recent Tour of Norway, placing 3rd and 4th on stages.
"I am excited to start the Tour," said Vingegaard, who has won the last two editions of the race. "The last few months have not always been easy, but I thank my family and Team Visma-Lease a Bike for their unwavering support.
Advertisement
"We have worked together to get to this moment, and of course, I am very excited to see where I stand. I feel good and very motivated."
Related News
Van Aert, who has recently been training with Vingegaard and their team mates at altitude in Tignes, said he was now "really looking forward" to the Tour.
"Of course, this was not the plan initially, but after my development in the last weeks, I really wanted it, and the team agreed," he added. "Our main goal is, of course, to ride a top classification with Jonas. I want to contribute to that with an excellent team."
Team sporting director, Merijn Zeeman, said he was "proud" of Vingegaard and the personnel around him for getting back into the condition required to start the Tour.
"He is coming back from a serious injury. In the last few weeks, he has shown what a champion he is, both mentally and physically. Of course, we don't know how far he can go yet," he said.
"We are being cautious because he has not been able to race, and his preparation has been less than ideal, to say the least. But he will be there, healthy and motivated.
"Just like Jonas, Wout has had to deal with a considerable physical and mental blow. But once again, Wout has shown himself to be a rock-solid champion. His class as an athlete and leadership qualities add value to our team. We are happy to have Jonas and Wout at the start, together with an excellent team."
Also in the Visma-Lease a Bike team for the Tour are: Matteo Jorgenson, Sepp Kuss, Christophe Laporte, Tiesj Benoot, Wilco Kelderman and Jan Tratnik.
