Andrew Talansky Abandons Tour de France

Andrew Talansky Abandons Tour de France

The American hopeful, Andrew Talansky, abandoned the Tour de France today, as a result of injuries he sustained following two crashes that he was involved in – during the opening week of this year’s race. 

According to reports,Talansky is suffering from acute sacroiliitis – an inflammation of the sacroiliac joint, which connects the iliac bone, in the pelvis, to the spine. In addition, the American rider has also been suffering with an upper respiratory infection.

“I’m absolutely heartbroken to leave the Tour de France. I built my season around the Tour, and the team has supported me every step of the way. I had hoped the rest day would allow some time to recover from my crashes,” Talansky said in a team press release issued this morning. “But it proved to be too much.”

Talansky’s victory in the Criterium du Dauphiné last month, served as a prelude for the American’s chances as a top GC contender in this year’s Tour. 

However, tragedy first befell Talansky during stage 7 of the Tour, when he crossed wheels with Simon Gerrans in a sprint finish, which caused him to hit the deck for the first time. The following day, the American rider went for the second time, as a result of wet roads while  cornering on the final descent. This caused him to lose more than two minutes to other top GC contenders.

The extent of Talansky’s injuries became apparent, when he lost over 10 minutes to race leader Vincenzo Nibali during the grueling climb of the Planche des Belles Filles on Monday. Moreover, Tuesday’s rest day, seemed to offer him nothing in the way of pain relief. 

After puncturing during yesterday’s stage 11, many thought that Talansky might abandon the Tour right then and there; especially when he was seen off his bike and sitting on the barriers. However, he later remounted and finished the stage, coming in at a time just above the cut-off point.  

“I wanted the team to keep up the fight for the stage, and in turn for them, I wanted to fight to the finish. It’s been hard for me personally with the crashes, but I’m really proud of how we rode together here. These guys are so strong and there is so much more they can do over the rest of the Tour. I’ll go home now and rest and recover but I will be watching from there and cheering for my team every day.”