Ben Swift had to leave the Abu Dhabi Tour on Saturday as his partner gave birth to their first child
Swift finished the queen stage of the race to Jebel Hafeet yesterday but was taken to the airport to fly back to his home that evening to attend the birth of his first child, a son.
A spokesperson for UAE Team Emirates said: “After the stage he received a call that said 'I’m going to the hospital because my waters have broken'. The team, of course, said go home this is something much more important than a bike race.
“He flew back home and we are happy for such kind of events.”
He added that Swift is not expected to miss Paris-Nice, which starts on Sunday March 5, or Milan-San Remo on March 18.
Swift himself posted on Instagram: "What a day. A mad rush home from Abu Dhabi to meet my little man. Happy to report mother and baby are doing great."
Swift placed second on the race last year, and it represents his best opportunity to win a Monument.
-
-
The race to the WorldTour - A new team enters the fight for a spot in cycling's top tier
Uno-X join a list of teams potentially looking to break into the WorldTour in the coming years
By Tim Bonville-Ginn •
-
Tour de France 2021 start list: Teams for the 108th edition
Here are the squads down to race the 2021 Tour de France
By Tim Bonville-Ginn •
-
Sam Bennett takes his second win in messy sprint finish on stage six of the UAE Tour 2021
Sam Bennett took his second win of the UAE Tour 2021 on stage six in chaotic finish into Palm Jumeirah while others were bumping and barging to try and get his wheel.
By Tim Bonville-Ginn •
-
Sam Bennett takes victory in chaotic finale on stage four of the UAE Tour 2021
The Irishman came through late to take victory ahead of some of the world's best sprinters
By Tim Bonville-Ginn •
-
Alpecin-Fenix leaves the UAE Tour after positive Covid-19 test
The team and race have confirmed the their departure from the race so that everyone else can be kept safe from the virus
By Tim Bonville-Ginn •
-
More confusion in UAE as organiser says six people now diagnosed with coronavirus
Confusion reigns for the three teams trapped in quarantine in the UAE, as authorities now say there are six new cases of coronavirus have been detected.
By Alex Ballinger •
-
‘There’s security guards, all the doors are shut': Three teams still locked down in quarantine after UAE Tour
Riders are still being held in quarantine in their hotel rooms over concerns about coronavirus at the UAE Tour.
By Alex Ballinger •
-
UAE Tour quarantine nears end as riders and staff are told they're allowed to go home
Those who were on lockdown are now waiting on paperwork to let them leave the country
By Jonny Long •
-
UAE Tour 2020 live TV guide
The first UAE Tour kicks off on Sunday (February 23) with the race to be broadcast live in the UK.
By Richard Windsor •
-
Primož Roglič on Jebel Jais summit victory: ‘I’m not a sprinter but I had a lot of power left’
The Jumbo-Visma rider seals his overall lead with a mountain victory on the penultimate day
By Alex Ballinger •
