The Belgian rider from the Jumbo-Visma formation occupied 23rd place in the general classification, but will not start the 18th stage on Thursday.
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One less teammate for the yellow jersey Jonas Vingegaard. The Jumbo-Visma team announced on Thursday July 20 that Wout van Aert was leaving the Tour de France. The 23rd in the general classification decided to join his wife, Sarah, on the occasion of a happy event. “With the team, we agreed that my place was now at home.explained the Belgian. Everyone knows my wife Sarah is pregnant. The birth of my child is imminent, that’s why we made this decision.”
🇬🇧 #TDF2023 @WoutvanAert has left the Tour de France to be with his wife Sarah who will give birth to their second child soon. More in the interview recorded yesterday morning. 🎥 pic.twitter.com/WWA7uoCVz4
— Team Jumbo-Visma cycling (@JumboVismaRoad) July 20, 2023
Wout van Aert warned his teammates at dinner the day before, Wednesday. “It’s a strange feeling [de quitter le Tour de France], but this is not a dilemma. It’s an easy decision to make. I always thought about coming home as soon as my wife told me she needed me. This moment has arrived. I announced it to my teammates at dinner last night. They all understood my decision and are 100% behind me. They will do the work on the end of the Tour de France, everything will go very well.”explained the Belgian in a video.
Winner of the green jersey classification last year on the Grande Boucle for the first time in his career and already winner of nine stages in this event, the Belgian has not succeeded this year in raising his arms on the Tour. But his Jumbo-Visma formation is in an ideal position to win the Tour de France for the second time in a row with Jonas Vingegaard, leader of the Grande Boucle with 7’35 ahead of his runner-up, Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates).