Wout van Aert undergoes surgery for infected elbow

Wout van Aert underwent surgery to prevent sepsis after his infected elbow became more serious than initially thought.

What happened?

The Visma-Lease a Bike team confirmed Van Aert's surgery was necessary to prevent the bacteria from causing a body-wide crisis. Mathieu Heijboer, the team's Head of Performance, said intervention was necessary to prevent sepsis. Van Aert injured his elbow in a training crash before the Critérium du Dauphiné.

Why it matters for Wout van Aert

The infection developed into an abscess, and Van Aert began spiking a fever and could no longer bend his elbow. Heijboer stated that when Van Aert withdrew from the Tour Auvergne-Rhônes-Alpes, his elbow was already swollen. There were signs of inflammation at that time, and doctors had put Van Aert on a course of antibiotics.

What comes next?

Instead of improving, Van Aert's situation became more serious, and he underwent surgery to clear the infected elbow. After the surgery, Van Aert began another course of antibiotics and started to improve. Heijboer confirmed that Van Aert has left the hospital but still needs to go back daily for wound checks. The team will have to come up with a new plan for Van Aert's season, as the Tour de France is no longer on his program. Visma-Lease a Bike will announce their full Tour de France selection next week, with several riders ready at a high level. Heijboer stated that you can't replace Van Aert one-to-one, as he is unique and plays a very important role in their strategic plan.