Cofidis manager Yvon Sanquer has expressed his regret at Nacer Bouhanni’s absence from the Tour de France but said that the sprinter had no option but to withdraw from the race due to the hand injury he sustained in a late-night altercation with a fellow hotel guest on the eve of the French Championships road race at the weekend.
Bouhanni received four stitches in his right hand after he was reportedly involved in a fight with a drunken guest who was making noise at the hotel where the Cofidis team was lodged ahead of Sunday’s race. Although Bouhanni abandoned Sunday’s race in Vesoul, Cofidis insisted at the time that his participation in the Tour was not in doubt.
Bouhanni’s wound later became infected, however, and he underwent surgery on Tuesday evening. On Wednesday morning, Cofidis issued a statement to announce that the 25-year-old would be replaced in the Tour line-up by Nicolas Edet.
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“Yesterday, the pain became more marked, almost unbearable and he consulted some specialists in Nancy,” Sanquer told L’Équipe. “The injury had been badly dealt with in the emergency room, and the wound needed to be cleaned. That required surgery and appropriate treatment.
“It wasn’t feasible to come and start the Tour de France. He wouldn’t have been capable of being operational in the first part of the Tour. Against our will, we’ve taken the decision that Nacer Bouhanni won’t ride.”
It marks the second time in as many years at Cofidis that Bouhanni’s Tour has been ruined by injury. A year ago, he started the race despite falling heavily in the French Championships but was forced out following another crash early on stage 5. Bouhanni’s Tour appearance during his time at FDJ came in 2013, when he abandoned through illness in the opening week.
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