With the E3 Saxo Classic and Gent-Wevelgem coming up over the next few days, the cobbled Classics are upon us, though one major contender won't be lining up for the upcoming slate of races.
While the likes of Wout van Aert, Tiesj Benoot, Dylan van Baarle, and Matteo Jorgenson will be leading the charge for Visma-Lease a Bike over the coming weeks, their teammate Christophe Laporte will be absent.
The Frenchman, who won Gent-Wevelgem and the Dwars door Vlaanderen two years ago, has yet to race in 2025 and remains out of action indefinitely after falling ill with cytomegalovirus.
In an update provided by his team earlier this week, Laporte said that he started to feel ill before a January altitude training camp, with testing soon afterwards showing the virus.
"Right before I was supposed to go on an altitude training camp at the end of January, I started feeling unwell," Laporte said. "Tests showed that I have the cytomegalovirus. Since then, I've been recovering, and you have to take things day by day."
Former European champion Laporte noted that "things are improving, but I still feel tired." He also admitted his frustrations after missing the cobbled Classics for the second year in a row.
Last spring, stomach problems and a fever forced him to abandon Milan-San Remo. The illness lingered through March, meaning he missed the Flanders Classics, only returning for a 25th place finish at Paris-Roubaix.
"The frustrating part is that you can't predict how long it will take," Laporte said. "With a broken bone, you have an estimate of how long recovery will be before you can train again. With this virus, you can't determine that in advance, which makes it mentally tough.
"This is the second year in a row that I have to sit out this period, and that's really frustrating. It feels strange. At the same time, I've come to terms with the situation – the only thing I can do now is rest and wait until I get better."
Laporte said he'll "be the biggest supporter" of his teammates during the upcoming races, adding that he's looking forward to seeing them fight for more Classics wins through the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix.
He remains hopeful about the future, however. Last year, following his spring illness, he bounced back to race the Tour de France, take bronze at the Olympics, and round out his season with a victory.
"I realise the season is still long, and there are plenty of great races after the spring Classics," he said. "Last year, I missed most of the spring as well, but later on, I won an Olympic medal and took victory in Paris-Tours. That's what I hold on to."
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