Green jersey wearer Marcel Kittel (Quick Step Floors) withdrew from the Tour de France on yesterday’s seventeenth stage after being caught up in a crash which saw him hit the ground 20 kilometres into the stage.
Winner of five stages, a remarkable performance which only a few riders have achieved in the entire history of the Tour de France, the German tried to continue, but the pain, illness and the tough gradients of Col de la Croix de Fer eventually took their toll on him.
“I am very disappointed and I don’t know how to describe my feelings at the moment,” said Kittel. “To go home with five stage victories is great, but to go home because of a crash and before hitting Paris is a major disappointment.”
“I couldn’t do anything to avoid that crash and lost some skin on my shoulder, back, elbow and hip, which are a bit swollen. I tried to carry on, but pedalling was just painful, especially as in the last couple of days I had to fight with stomach problems and a cold.
“Now I will take some time to recover before returning to racing and I’m confident the joy of winning five stages at the Tour de France will help me overcome these difficult moments”, concluded Kittel.
