Jumbo-Visma’s attempts to overthrow Team Ineos at the Tour de France have taken a blow as Steven Kruijswijk will be forced to miss the race due to injury.
The Dutch Grand Tour contender is still suffering from a crash he suffered at the Critérium du Dauphiné last week and he will not be fit in time for the Tour at the end of August.
Kruijswijk, who finished third in last year’s Tour, was expected to be a key asset to Jumbo-Visma in the Tour de France, alongside Tom Dumoulin and race favourite Primož Roglič.
In a statement shared on Twitter, Kruijswijk said: “Unfortunately, the consequences of my crash in the Dauphiné turn out to be more serious than hoped.
“To my great disappointment, I cannot participate in the Tour de France due to a fracture in the shoulder and the many abrasions.
“I am now going to work on my recovery first and then I will focus on the Giro d’Italia as a new goal. I wish the team the best of luck in the Tour. I am very disappointed I cannot be part of it.”
Kruijswijk crashed during a descent of the Col de Plain Bois on stage four and was immediately forced to withdraw, but the team were not sure of the extent of his injuries.
But it’s now clear he will not be fit for the Tour de France and will instead start the Giro in early October.
Dutch WorldTour team Jumbo-Visma has been stepping up their Grand Tour ambitions in recent years, finishing on the podium of all three-week races last year and winning the Vuelta a España with Roglič.
This year, Jumbo have been the team to beat in stage races as they dominated Team Ineos in the Tour de l’Ain and then the Critérium du Dauphiné before both Kruijswijk and Roglič crashed out.
Team Ineos have now announced their surprising line-up for the 2020 Tour de France, with both Geraint Thomas and Chris Froome left out of the team.
Egan Bernal will try to defend his 2019 title, with Pavel Sivakov and Richard Carapaz supporting him in the mountains.
>>> Tour de France 2020 route: Eight mountain finishes and uphill time trial to decide 107th edition
Thomas, winner of the 2018 Tour, will instead now go up against Kruijswijk at the Giro d’Italia after the disappointment of being left out of the Tour squad.
