Right before the start of stage 17th, Tadej Pogacar received a heavy blow as his best wingman, Rafal Majka (UAE Team Emirates) was forced to leave the tour. The chain of Majka’s cycle broke on the stage 16. The unfortunate happening left him with a strained thigh.
Unfortunately @majkaformal will not start stage 17 of the #TDF2022 today.
👨⚕️ Dr. Adrian Rotunno (Medical Director): “Majka sustained a strain injury to his thigh after some mechanical trouble on stage 16 when his chain broke. pic.twitter.com/kiNomp9wUG
— @UAE-TeamEmirates (@TeamEmiratesUAE) July 20, 2022
On Wednesday, 20th July, the UAE Team Emirates management made an official announcement stating:
Unfortunately, Rafal Majka will not start stage 17 of the Tour de France today.Majka sustained a strain injury to his thigh after some mechanical trouble on stage 16 when his chain broke.
The medical director, Adrian Rotunno, provided a detailed view of the injury:
This resulted in a high-grade partial thickness tear of his right quadriceps muscle, and unfortunately due to the muscle damage is unable to ride
Majka was crucial to Pogacar’s plan to take on the yellow jersey. Majka has won Tour de France King of the Mountains and has many stage victories to his name. There is no denying that he was a big support to Pogacar.
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Moreover, COVID-19 has caused many riders of the team to call it quits on their journey. The names include George Bennett (UAE Team Emirates), Vegard Stake Laengen (UAE Team Emirates) and Marc Soller (UAE Team Emirates).
Tadej Pogacar is in second place following Vingegaard (Jumbo-Visma) who sits at the top and is the leader.
The newest rider to be claimed by COVID-19 is Tim Wellens (Lotto Soudal) who now joins the list of those who were forced to quit.
Also Read: How Is It Going For Ineos Grenadiers Leader At Tour De France?
Featured Image Via YouTube/ Cycling Pro Net
