Two-time champion Alberto Contador sensationally quit the Tour de France Sunday after succumbing to injuries and illness.
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“It’s bad news for me”, said Tinkoff team owner Oleg Tinkov, who is planning to leave the sport.
“The prospect of the Games is practically over”, said Contador, who looks set to join Trek-Segafredo for 2017, although changes of team can not be announced until 1 August.
“I’m already focused on the Ventoux on Thursday and the time trial on Friday”.
“I have not recovered from the crashes, I’ve been sick overnight, that’s why I made this decision”.
However, what made it surprising for some people was that Contador had actually attacked, alongside fellow Spaniard Alejandro Valverde, on the opening climb of the day.
He was sitting 20th overall at more than three minutes off race leader Chris Froome at the start of the day. Contador lost time in the uphill finish at Cherbourg in stage two before being distanced by his rivals towards the end of the hilly stage in the Massif Central on day five.
Contador’s team-mate Roman Kreuziger sits 12th in the overall standings, 34 seconds behind Froome.
“It’s a shame he’s no longer in the race”.
Truly, however, Contador’s Tour was over before it even started. “It’s a blow to my morale because the Games were my second big goal of the year and I’ve had to discount them”.
“The guys did a great job keeping me up front just in case things were to kick off. We were right there and ready for it if it did happen”, Froome said. “It’s something less to worry about but it’s a pity”.
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Contador, who had a fever in the morning and had crashed twice in the two opening stages, got off his bike and stepped into his Tinkoff team auto with about 104km left in the 184.5km ride from Vielha Val d’Aran.
