André Greipel abandons Tour de France 2020
The German sprinter stepped off the bike on a tough stage 18 of the Tour
André Greipel has abandoned the Tour de France 2020.
The Israel Start-Up Nation rider stepped off the bike after around 40km of racing on stage 18, during a savage day of mountain racing.
German sprinting star Greipel has been battling hard to make it through the Tour’s toughest mountains, finishing stage 17 to Col de la Loze 32 minutes behind the stage winner, just a few minutes before the time cut off.
But as the peloton another huge day of climbing on stage 18 to La-Roche-sur-Foron, which includes five categorised ascents, Greipel had to give up the race.
The 38-year-old, an 11-time Tour de France stage winner, abandoned the race during the first climb of the day, the 19.3km-long, six per cent average Cormet de Roselend.
Greipel, who joined new WorldTour team Start-Up Nation at the start of the season, hasn’t won a Tour stage since 2016, and looked to be off the pace early in the 2020.
After crashing on the opening stage and not finishing in the top 100 in the opening nine stages, Greipel then found his legs for stage nine in the crosswinds to Île de Ré, fighting his way to sixth place in the sprint finish as Sam Bennett (Deceuninck - Quick-Step) took the win.
Get The Leadout Newsletter
The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
Greipel left Lotto-Soudal in 2018 to step down to Professional Continental level with Arkéa-Samsic, but after suffering from illness he left the team before the end of the season, bringing his contract to a premature end.
News then emerged Greipel would be returning to the highest level as Israel Cycling Academy merged with Katusha-Alpecin to become a WorldTour team.
>>> Who’s out of the Tour de France 2020?
Greipel is the 27th rider to leave the Tour and will miss out on the last sprint opportunities of the race, including the prestigious Champs Élysées stage, which he has won on two previous occasions during his 15-year longcareer.
Thank you for reading 20 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access
Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription
Join now for unlimited access
Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
Alex Ballinger is editor of BikeBiz magazine, the leading publication for the UK cycle industry, and is the former digital news editor for CyclingWeekly.com. After gaining experience in local newsrooms, national newspapers and in digital journalism, Alex found his calling in cycling, first as a reporter, then as news editor responsible for Cycling Weekly's online news output, and now as the editor of BikeBiz. Since pro cycling first captured his heart during the 2010 Tour de France (specifically the Contador-Schleck battle) Alex covered three Tours de France, multiple editions of the Tour of Britain, and the World Championships, while both writing and video presenting for Cycling Weekly. He also specialises in fitness writing, often throwing himself into the deep end to help readers improve their own power numbers. Away from the desk, Alex can be found racing time trials, riding BMX and mountain bikes, or exploring off-road on his gravel bike. He’s also an avid gamer, and can usually be found buried in an eclectic selection of books.
-
Buying a saddle online without a fit is a risky move — here's how to find the best perch for you
Getting your saddle right makes all the difference, we spoke to an expert to help guide you in the process
By Rob Kemp Published
-
Guava Spot Force AXS review: the Catalan gravel bike that loves tarmac too
It just doesn’t deal with fast asphalt, rocky terrain, sandy stretches and damp conditions, but it excels across them. It’s fast, aggressive, nimble, stable, and above all compliant.
By Chris Marshall-Bell Published
-
'I have to pinch myself and figure out if it's real or not, especially after all the s**t in the past': Stevie Williams ahead of World Championships debut
Welshman looking to end best ever year on a high in Zurich after Tour down Under, Flèche Wallonne and Tour of Britain Men victories
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
Joe Blackmore, young British winning machine, promoted to senior Israel-Premier Tech team early
Winner of Liège-Bastogne-Liège U23 and three stage races moves up to ProTeam months early
By Adam Becket Published
-
Israel-Premier Tech to tackle Paris-Roubaix on gravel bikes
Team will ride the Factor Ostro Gravel in Sunday’s cobbled Monument
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
Introducing the British rider with a 100% GC record in 2024
Victories at the Tour du Rwanda and Tour de Taiwan cap a glittering start to pro life for the 21-year-old
By Adam Becket Published
-
Israel-Premier Tech riders to be issued with blank training kit due to safety concerns after Israel-Hamas war
Riders issued with different kit for training alone if they deem it necessary
By Tom Thewlis Last updated
-
Chris Froome's boss rubbishes claims bike fit is behind lack of results
'He can talk about his bike position until the cows come home - that's still not going to earn him a position on a Grand Tour team' says Israel-Premier Tech team owner Sylvan Adams
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
'It's not nice to lose in that way' - Tragic end for breakaway duo on stage six of the Giro d'Italia
Simon Clarke and Alessandro De Marchi had their dreams crushed with 200m to go in Napoli
By Adam Becket Published
-