After suffering a knee injury last week, officials told VeloNews that Van Aert is “okay to go” and hopefully “ready” to be in the running for the first Tour jerseys.

On Friday in Copenhagen, Wout Van Aert will begin clipping into the pedals.

After being forced to withdraw from the Belgian nationals last weekend due to a banged knee, Jumbo-Visma representatives told VeloNews on Tuesday that Van Aert is healthy and prepared to compete in the Tour de France.

The team of staff for Jumbo-Visma informed VeloNews that it appears that the assumptions were correct and the right amount of rest repaired the injury and the athlete is now good to go and ready to face a fierce competition once again.

“He missed the nationals, which was a blow for him, and some training sessions on altitude,” Jumbo-Visma staff continued and said that they feel and hope that he is nonetheless prepared to compete for the opening Tour de France jerseys.

In practice the previous week, Van Aert banged his knee against his bars as he was training. The Belgian baller withdrew from his title defense in the road race as a preventative measure before his major attack on the Tour’s green jersey later this month.

After a couple of days of rest, Van Aert was prepared for the Tour’s official launch on Friday and the eagerly anticipated opening time trial through Copenhagen. The 27-year-old is anticipated to compete for the first yellow jersey against cyclists like Mathieu van der Poel, Filippo Ganna, and hometown favorite Mads Pedersen.

The team said that his knee continued to sting in pain after a few days, so they decided to cease exercising or training and do some tests. “They showed some irritation, so Wout had to stop training for a week [after] the incident. He was allowed to [jog and swim] only,”  the team reported on Tuesday. They said that last weekend, he did some exercises and was able to engage in regular workout yesterday. The recovery period for knee sprains or strains is typically 2 to 4 weeks. It can take anywhere between 4 and 12 months for serious trauma-related injuries. The length of time needed for recovery would depend on the patient’s lifestyle and the type of treatment received.

This past weekend, Patrick Lefevere, the manager of Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl, questioned the veracity of Van Aert’s ailment.

“I’m not going to say it didn’t happen, but if Jumbo-Visma prefers to keep its leaders for the Tour away from the championships, say so clearly,” Lefevere added. He also questioned if it  is purely coincidental that Primož Roglič is also absent from Slovenia. When Van Aert rolls down the ramp in search of a few new jerseys for his wardrobe on Friday, a beating from Lefevere will not be lingering on his mind.

On a social media post made through Instagram, Team Jumbo-Visma cycling(@jumbovisma_road) posted a photo with the caption:

From 🇩🇰 to 🇫🇷: swipe for our team for the upcoming Tour de France! “We have several ambitions, so we have chosen riders who are the best at different terrains.”💛💚

Read more via link in IG story🔗 #TDF2022

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