Injured Van Aert to miss Tour de France

Wout van Aert is a two-time Tour of Britain winner

>Belgium's Wout van Aert is set to miss next month's Tour de France with an elbow injury.

>The 31-year-old, who won the Paris-Roubaix in April, is a key rider for his team Visma alongside four-time Grand Tour winner Jonas Vingegaard.

>Van Aert suffered the injury after falling in training before last week's Tour Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes stage race in France and an infection developed in his elbow.

>"The Tour de France is one of my main goals every year. Unfortunately, a crash during training has put a spanner in the works and the injury to my elbow has worsened and has still not healed sufficiently," said Van Aert.

>According to a statement from Visma, the wound was cleaned in hospital, where he spent "one night under observation" but it has failed to heal in time.

>Van Aert is often seen as the nearly man in a golden era of stand-out talents and had been in good form after beating four-time Tour de France champion Tadej Pogacar at the Paris-Roubaix.

>Visma will announce Van Aert's replacement on 23 June with the Tour de France set to start in Barcelona on 4 July.