Wout Van Aert will not start stage 18 of the Tour de France on Thursday and will head back to Belgium to be with his wife Sarah, who is due to give birth to their second child shortly.
The news was confirmed by a Jumbo-Visma Tweet on Thursday morning prior to the largely flat stage from Moutiers to Bourg-en-Bresse.
In a video put out by the team on Twitter, Van Aert said: “As everyone knows Sarah is pregnant. In consultation with the team, we have decided that my place is at home. We have been seeing the doctor at home and he has assessed that labour is imminent.”
Van Aert said that he and his wife had agreed before the Tour that he would head home if at any point she felt it was better that way.
“On the one hand it’s a strange feeling, but it’s not a dilemma. It’s an easy decision I always thought that I would go home when my wife indicated she needed me. That time has come.”
“I told the boys at dinner last night. I am delighted that they have all understood the decision and are 100 percent behind me. These seven guys will perform well for the rest of the Tour. Everything will be fine.”
Van Aert is the first Jumbo-Visma rider to leave the Tour this year.
He leaves the race at a point where leader Jonas Vingegaard is in a very strong position overall, dominating the race after the time trial stage and the Queen stage over the Col de la Loze.
Having won at least one stage every year in the Tour since 2019, and three in 2021 and 2022, Van Aert was targeting for a tenth career stage victory. However he twice finishing second and twice third this year, missing out on the stage win he so badly wanted.
“I often had the legs to win the stage, but it didn’t happen,” Van Aert said in the same video.
“It gives me mixed feelings. Results are one thing. How you feel on the bike is another.
“It was super good. The experience with the guys was excellent. To be able to fight for our goals again gave me morale. I look back on this Tour in a positive way.
“But I will always remember this Tour as the one where I called home every day and this is where I will leave the Tour.”
Another tweet from Jumbo-Visma added: "Thank you for another amazing Tour, we wish you and Sarah the best.”
Van Aert’s next event is currently due to be the World Championships elite men's road race on Sunday August 6 in Scotland.
🇫🇷 #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/WWA7uoCVz4July 20, 2023
