Romain Bardet and James Shaw became fourth and fifth deserters on stage 14 of the Tour de France after the French allrounder and British debutant crashed on stage.
Television footage showed DSM leader Firmenich helping him to his feet after falling on a fast sweeping descent from the day’s opening climb, the Category Three Col de Saxel. The Frenchman was reportedly suffering from a knee and elbow injury.
Many of Bardet’s teammates waited but the 32-year-old was unable to continue. He was lying in 12th place overall as of today.
An EF-Education EasyPost contestant, who left after being caught in the same crash, was also reported to have left. The Briton was the second EF rider to leave stage 14, after Esteban Chaves was one of three riders forced to leave the Tour after a mass pile-up in the opening kilometres.
Pardy was already having a very difficult tour, having developed a bronchial infection earlier in the second week. He finished 19th at the Grand Colombier summit on Friday.
“When it got harder, I had coughing fits,” he said. L’Equipe on the stage. “A tour is very difficult when you’re not at 100 percent.”
Fifth in the Tour de Suisse, Bardet looked to be in good shape before the race. Sixth overall last year, Bardi already had three stages in the Tour in the palms, including Sunday’s summit finish in Mont Blanc, where he won in 2016 on his way to second in Paris behind Chris Froome.
Shaw, meanwhile, has been on the break twice during the Tour, finishing fifth on Stage 5 to Cauterets and seventh on Friday on Stage 13 to Grand Colombier.
“Beer enthusiast. Subtly charming alcohol junkie. Wannabe internet buff. Typical pop culture lover.”
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