SISTERON, France (AP) — Defending champion Pauline Ferrand-Prévôt pulled out of the Women’s Tour de France ahead of Saturday’s eighth and penultimate stage after feeling unwell.
The French rider’s Visma-Lease a Bike team said on X that the decision to pull her out of the race was made after consultation with the team’s medical staff.
“Unfortunately, Pauline was not feeling well this morning,” the team said. “It has been decided that she will not start today. We wish Pauline a speedy recovery.”
An Olympic champion in mountain biking at the Paris Olympics in 2024, she won the Women’s Tour de France on her debut last year.
She was in 14th place overall heading into Stage 8, a flat 172-kilometer (107-mile) route from Sisteron in southeast France to Nice made for sprinters.
Polish rider Katarzyna Niewiadoma-Phinney was in the overall lead after taking the yellow jersey from Marlen Reusser with a brilliant solo climb to victory up Mont Ventoux on Friday.
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