John Degenkolb (Trek-Segafredo) has been forced to abandon the Vuelta a España after falling sick in the opening days. A multiple stage winner at the Spanish Grand Tour, Degenkolb had ambitions of adding to his palmarès, but bronchitis has cut his race short.
Degenkolb has only once before abandoned a Grand Tour, back in 2013 when he departed the Giro d’Italia on the first rest day. He expressed his frustration at leaving the Vuelta having arrived at the race in a good condition.
“I came here in good shape and with two goals: win a stage and help Alberto (Contador) to get a really great result in his last race as a professional rider,” said Degenkolb.
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“Unfortunately I got sick two days ago, and that was that. I tried to fight myself a way through the stages, hoping that my body would recover, because I had the legs, but when you cannot breathe properly, it’s just impossible to keep going.”
It has been a generally disappointing season for Degenkolb, who has failed to take a win since stage 3 of the Dubai Tour in February.
“To be honest I am really frustrated,” he said. “I started the season well with a victory in Dubai and a lot of top 10 places at the spring classics, but after that, it just never went like I hoped and expected. Anyway, health comes first now and the season is not over yet, so I don’t want to take risks now. So, I will go home, recover and focus on the rest of the season.”
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