Kruijswijk Pulls Out of Tour de France after Fall

Sports

August 20th, 9:29am

Asharq Al-Awsat

FILE PHOTO: Cycling - Tour de France - The 27.5-km Stage 13 Individual Time Trial from Pau to Pau - July 19, 2019 - Team Jumbo-Visma rider Steven Kruijswijk of the Netherlands finishes. REUTERS/Gonzalo Fuentes

Dutch cyclist Steven Kruijswijk, who finished third in last year's Tour de France, said Thursday he will not take part in this year's race after fracturing a bone in his shoulder during the Critérium du Dauphiné. Kruijswijk, who rides for the Jumbo-Visma team, wrote on Twitter that the injury from a fall in the Dauphiné on Aug. 15 was worse than previously thought. “I am now going to work on my recovery first and then I will focus on the Giro d'Italia as a new goal,” he said. Kruijswijk's decision means that the second- and third-place riders from last year's Tour de France will not be participating in this year's race. On Wednesday, the INEOS team announced that Geraint Thomas, who finished second last year behind teammate Egan Bernal, will not be in its team for the coronavirus pandemic-hit Tour that starts Aug. 29. Bernal will lead an INEOS team that is also missing four-time champion Chris Froome. Another Jumbo-Visma rider, Primoz Roglic, also fell in the Dauphiné and withdrew from the race before the final stage.

from Asharq AL-awsat https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/2459161/kruijswijk-pulls-out-tour-de-france-after-fall