Defending champion Egan Bernal has withdrawn from the Tour de France ahead of Stage 17, his Ineos Grenadiers team said on Wednesday.
Bernal, whose hopes of winning the race fell away when he cracked in Sunday's 15th stage, was dropped from the main bunch in the ascent to Saint-Nizier, suffering from back pains in Tuesday's 16th stage won by Lennard Kaemna.
Bernal had said that compensating for his back led to some discomfort in his knee.
"This is obviously not how I wanted my Tour de France to end, but I agree that it is the right decision for me in the circumstances," Bernal said in a statement.
"I have the greatest respect for this race and I am already looking forward to coming back in the years ahead."
The 23-year-old will focus on his recovery from the Tour, and reset his goals for the rest of the season, his team said.
They did not specify the reason for his withdrawal.
"We've taken this decision with Egan's best interests at heart," Ineos team principal Dave Brailsford said.
"Egan is a true champion who loves to race, but he is also a young rider, with many Tours ahead of him and at this point, on balance, we feel it is wiser for him to stop racing."
The Colombian had pulled out of the Criterium du Dauphine with back pains last month.
Last year, Bernal became the youngest rider to win the Tour de France in 110 years.
This year's Tour is being led by Jumbo-Visma's Primoz Roglic, with UAE Team Emirates rider Tadej Pogacar 40 seconds back in second.
UAE rugby season
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Winners – Bahrain
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The biog
Favourite films: Casablanca and Lawrence of Arabia
Favourite books: Start with Why by Simon Sinek and Good to be Great by Jim Collins
Favourite dish: Grilled fish
Inspiration: Sheikh Zayed's visionary leadership taught me to embrace new challenges.
Who is Allegra Stratton?
- Previously worked at The Guardian, BBC’s Newsnight programme and ITV News
- Took up a public relations role for Chancellor Rishi Sunak in April 2020
- In October 2020 she was hired to lead No 10’s planned daily televised press briefings
- The idea was later scrapped and she was appointed spokeswoman for Cop26
- Ms Stratton, 41, is married to James Forsyth, the political editor of The Spectator
- She has strong connections to the Conservative establishment
- Mr Sunak served as best man at her 2011 wedding to Mr Forsyth
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Bob%20Marley%3A%20One%20Love
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Terror attacks in Paris, November 13, 2015
- At 9.16pm, three suicide attackers killed one person outside the Atade de France during a foootball match between France and Germany
- At 9.25pm, three attackers opened fire on restaurants and cafes over 20 minutes, killing 39 people
- Shortly after 9.40pm, three other attackers launched a three-hour raid on the Bataclan, in which 1,500 people had gathered to watch a rock concert. In total, 90 people were killed
- Salah Abdeslam, the only survivor of the terrorists, did not directly participate in the attacks, thought to be due to a technical glitch in his suicide vest
- He fled to Belgium and was involved in attacks on Brussels in March 2016. He is serving a life sentence in France