'This is a huge disappointment' - Christophe Laporte shifts focus from Tour de France to 'full recovery' from quadriceps tear in training crash

For a second year in a row, Christophe Laporte will not start the Tour de France, this time due to an injury suffered in a crash during training.Visma-Lease a Bike put out a statement on Thursday stating that the Olympic Games road race bronze medalist and former European road champion tore a quadriceps muscle and will need extended time to heal his leg.Due to time off the bike and a rehabilitation process, Laporte was also taken off the roster for Tour de l’Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes (formerly Critérium du Dauphiné) in mid-June, a traditional preparatory event for the Tour de France.“Obviously, this is a huge disappointment. I had a strong Spring Classics campaign and was ready to start preparing for the Tour de France," the 33-year-old said in a team statement."Of course, I was really looking forward to the upcoming races, especially the Tour de France. Right now, the focus is fully on recovery so I can come back as soon as possible.”The French rider has started his home Grand Tour 10 times, winning a stage in 2022. He began 2026 with a victory on the opening day of Vuelta a Andalucía, but crashed out of the race on the final stage. He then finished fourth at Omloop Nieuwsblad, and led out Matthew Brennan to victory at Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne.The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!Experience the 2026 cycling season with a Cyclingnews subscription that offers you unlimited access to our unrivalled coverage. Our global team will be on the ground at all the major races to bring you breaking news, in-depth features, exclusive interviews and member-exclusive content. Find out more.