Christophe Laporte misses out on cobbled Classics due to cytomegalovirus
'The frustrating part is that you can't predict how long it will take' says Frenchman, who has yet to race in 2025

With the E3 Saxo Classic and Gent-Wevelgem coming up over the next few days, the cobbled Classics are upon us, though one major contender won't be lining up for the upcoming slate of races.
While the likes of Wout van Aert, Tiesj Benoot, Dylan van Baarle, and Matteo Jorgenson will be leading the charge for Visma-Lease a Bike over the coming weeks, their teammate Christophe Laporte will be absent.
The Frenchman, who won Gent-Wevelgem and the Dwars door Vlaanderen two years ago, has yet to race in 2025 and remains out of action indefinitely after falling ill with cytomegalovirus.
In an update provided by his team earlier this week, Laporte said that he started to feel ill before a January altitude training camp, with testing soon afterwards showing the virus.
"Right before I was supposed to go on an altitude training camp at the end of January, I started feeling unwell," Laporte said. "Tests showed that I have the cytomegalovirus. Since then, I've been recovering, and you have to take things day by day."
Former European champion Laporte noted that "things are improving, but I still feel tired." He also admitted his frustrations after missing the cobbled Classics for the second year in a row.
Last spring, stomach problems and a fever forced him to abandon Milan-San Remo. The illness lingered through March, meaning he missed the Flanders Classics, only returning for a 25th place finish at Paris-Roubaix.
Get The Leadout Newsletter
The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
"The frustrating part is that you can't predict how long it will take," Laporte said. "With a broken bone, you have an estimate of how long recovery will be before you can train again. With this virus, you can't determine that in advance, which makes it mentally tough.
"This is the second year in a row that I have to sit out this period, and that's really frustrating. It feels strange. At the same time, I've come to terms with the situation – the only thing I can do now is rest and wait until I get better."
Laporte said he'll "be the biggest supporter" of his teammates during the upcoming races, adding that he's looking forward to seeing them fight for more Classics wins through the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix.
He remains hopeful about the future, however. Last year, following his spring illness, he bounced back to race the Tour de France, take bronze at the Olympics, and round out his season with a victory.
"I realise the season is still long, and there are plenty of great races after the spring Classics," he said. "Last year, I missed most of the spring as well, but later on, I won an Olympic medal and took victory in Paris-Tours. That's what I hold on to."
Subscribe to Cyclingnews for unlimited access to our 2025 Spring Classics coverage. Don't miss any of the breaking news, reports, and analysis from all the Cobbled Classics from Opening Weekend to Paris-Roubaix. Find out more.
Dani Ostanek is Senior News Writer at Cyclingnews, having joined in 2017 as a freelance contributor and later being hired full-time. Before joining the team, she had written for numerous major publications in the cycling world, including CyclingWeekly and Rouleur. She writes and edits at Cyclingnews as well as running newsletter, social media, and how to watch campaigns.
Dani has reported from the world's top races, including the Tour de France, Road World Championships, and the spring Classics. She has interviewed many of the sport's biggest stars, including Mathieu van der Poel, Demi Vollering, and Remco Evenepoel, and her favourite races are the Giro d'Italia, Strade Bianche and Paris-Roubaix.
Season highlights from 2024 include reporting from Paris-Roubaix – 'Unless I'm in an ambulance, I'm finishing this race' – Cyrus Monk, the last man home at Paris-Roubaix – and the Tour de France – 'Disbelief', gratitude, and family – Mark Cavendish celebrates a record-breaking Tour de France sprint win.
You must confirm your public display name before commenting
Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.