Tomas de Gendt is skipping this year's Tour de France and will instead take on a 12-day ride from Belgium to Spain for the Vuelta a España.

The nine-time Tour de France veteran recently rode the Criterium du Dauphiné and told the Lotto-Dostony team that he is not ready to compete in the Tour next month. Instead, he will ride from Semmelzaque to Calpe, where he will be looking to compete in his ninth career Vuelta.

Speaking to Sporza after the Dauphiné, Lotto director sportif Kurt van de Wouwer said de Gendt informed him of his decision after the race on Sunday evening.

"I wasn't shocked by that call. I wasn't shocked by that call. It's the logical conclusion of everything Thomas has already encountered this season." You need 100% de Gendt at the Tour, and so far he hasn't."

"I'm not shocked by that call," he said.

De Gendt has two Tour de France stage wins, five stage combativeness awards, and has worn the polka-dot jersey.

However, he will be riding through France, heading south from Flanders to Calpe in southeastern Spain, a popular winter training destination.

De Gendt wrote on Twitter on Monday, "If there are any volunteers to accompany me anywhere, feel free to join me." The big trip will take him to the Vuelta, where he won a stage to Gijón in 2017 and the mountains prize a year later.

It's an unconventional way to prepare for the Grand Tour, but his team also trusts its riders, who have competed in 23 events, to be in shape before the three-week test.

"He is now aiming for the Vuelta. Thomas, who has a lot of experience, knows exactly what he needs to do to get to his next goal, the Vuelta. He now has to go for it."

The Dauphiné was the first race since Mayenne-Boucle at the end of May. De Gendt made a breakaway on the fifth stage to Salins-les-Bains, but was caught on the final climb with 17km to go.

Teammate Victor Campenaerts raced for the first time since fracturing a vertebra in the Breden Coxsayde Classic in mid-March.

The former Hour Record holder wore the polka-dot mountain jersey on stage 7, but lost it to Giulio Ciccone (Trek-Segafredo), who won the breakaway on stage 8. Van de Wouwer said his progress was encouraging and that he has a good chance of making the Tour de France team.

"Victor surprised us," Van de Wouwer said. 'When a rider is away from a competition, it's always a question of how far away he is. But it's clear that he's progressing faster than originally planned."

"In the Dauphiné, Viktor gave us more than a 'business card'. But I am not going to make a statement about the (Tour) selection right now. Next Monday, we will sit down together and make a decision."