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Last Sunday, in the final at the Grand Colombier, Egan Bernal lost any option to fight for the defense of the Tour de France title, after losing 7 minutes 20 seconds to the winner of the day, Tadej pogacar. And on Tuesday he succumbed more and finished in 16th place overall.
After that performance, in which back and leg pain did not leave him alone, the Ineos cyclist was more than 19 minutes behind the leader.
It may interest you: (Egan’s collapse, he lost more time on the Tour).
“Obviously, it was not the way I wanted to end my Tour de France, but I think it is the right decision for me in these circumstances,” Bernal himself explained in a statement from his Ineos team before the start of the 17th stage, this Wednesday , 170 km between Grenoble and Col de la Loze.
Egan Bernal has withdrawn from the Tour de France before stage 17.
– INEOS Grenadiers (@INEOSGrenadiers) September 16, 2020
“We have made this decision keeping in mind that it is the best for Egan. He is a true champion who loves to race, but he is also a young rider, with many laps ahead and at this point, after all, we think it is more prudent for him to stop running “said Sir Dave Brailsford, the team’s managing director.
His performance was not the best, his health either, that is why he made the decision to leave the Tour, to recover and rethink this 2020 that has not been good for him.
(Also read: Egan: the harsh statement that reflects his frustration).
“The back pain lasted all day. It is increasing that problem, in the last climb on Tuesday it began to load my knee. I’m screwed all over the place, ”said the defending champion.
Bernal left the Tour without having the possibility to defend his crown, the one he obtained last year and will have to rethink his season, after analyzing with his coaches and trainers what happened at the restart of competitions.
(It may interest you: Egan, outside of Colombia’s payroll for the Cycling World Cup).
The cyclist from Cundinamarca had just won the Occitania Route, With stage included, then he met Primoz Roglic in the Tour de L’Ain, there he was defeated.
He arrived at the Criterium Daupohiné, but withdrew due to back pain, that they have not stopped, that they are still chasing him and that they forced him to land on the Tour.
Bernal’s abandonment also occurs one day after the Colombian Cycling Federation announced the list of riders who will represent the South American country in the Road Cycling World Championships that will be held from September 24 to 27 in Ímola (Italy).
(Also: Analysis: the reasons for Egan and Nairo’s bad timing).
The coffee team will be represented in Ímola by Rigoberto Urán, Sergio Higuita, Daniel Martínez, Miguel Ángel ‘Supermán’ López, Harold Tejada, Nairo Quintana, Esteban Chaves and Sergio Henao.
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With information from AFP *
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