Christophe Laporte misses out on cobbled Classics due to cytomegalovirus

French rider of team Visma Lease A Bike Christophe Laporte speaks during a press conference after winning the 118th edition of the 213,9 km Paris-Tours one day cycling race, in Tours, central France on October 6, 2024. (Photo by GUILLAUME SOUVANT / AFP)
Christophe Laporte will miss the cobbled Classics for the second season in a row (Image credit: Getty Images)

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.

Senior News Writer

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.

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