(Reuters) – Defending champion Egan Bernal has withdrawn from the Tour de France ahead of stage 17, his Ineos Grenadiers team announced on Wednesday.
“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 https://www.ineosgrenadiers.com/article/egan-bernal-withdraws-from-the-tour-de-france.
“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.
(Reporting by Shrivathsa Sridhar in Bengaluru; Editing by Clarence Fernandez)
