'This is a huge disappointment' - Christophe Laporte shifts focus from Tour de France to 'full recovery' from quadriceps tear in training crash

Christophe Laporte will miss the Tour de France for the second consecutive year after sustaining a quadriceps tear in a training crash. The Visma-Lease a Bike rider, who was preparing to support team leader Jonas Vingegaard, has been sidelined indefinitely to focus on full recovery. The injury also forced him to withdraw from the Tour de l’Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, a key warm-up event ahead of the Tour, signalling a significant disruption to his 2026 season plans. Laporte’s recent form had been promising, with strong performances in the Spring Classics, including a fifth-place finish at Paris-Roubaix and several top-10 results. However, his season has been hampered by ongoing fitness issues, including a bout of cytomegalovirus in 2025 that affected his consistency and race participation. Despite these setbacks, the 33-year-old had shown resilience, returning to competitive shape with notable results before the latest injury struck. The French rider expressed his disappointment at missing the Tour, a race he has started ten times and where he claimed a stage victory in 2022. Laporte emphasised that his priority is now to recover fully and return to racing as soon as possible. His absence leaves Visma-Lease a Bike with fewer options for stage wins and support roles during the Tour, with teammates Edoardo Affini and Wout van Aert expected to fill some of the gaps. Laporte’s injury raises questions about his future with Visma-Lease a Bike, as his five-year contract nears its end amid a season marked by intermittent fitness and availability. The setback is a blow to both the rider and the team’s ambitions, particularly given Laporte’s experience and versatility in Grand Tours and one-day races. His focus will now be on rehabilitation, with hopes of returning to competition later in the season.