Hit in the knee, the Slovak of the Bora-Hansgrohe team Peter Sagan did not start the 12th stage of the Tour de France this Thursday in Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux. He now hopes to be recovered for the Olympics.
For his last Tour de France under the colors of Bora-Hansgrohe, Peter Sagan will not go beyond the 11th stage. The 31-year-old Slovak, 109th in the general classification at 2:00 am from Tadej Pogacar, did not start this Wednesday at the beginning of the afternoon in Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux, because he is injured in the knee, as he Explained it over the microphone of the official Tour de France Twitter: “It’s a tough decision, but at the same time it’s easy because I can’t move my leg well.. I am disappointed, because after my fall at the start of the Tour, things were getting better and better, but two days ago, I hit my knee against the handlebars. The knee reacted less well than I imagined. Yesterday was a hard and fast stage, and the inflammation grew. I’m not happy to be leaving, but that’s how it is, I can’t run in these conditions. I am also disappointed for my team, because it was an important step. It’s not nice to leave the Tour de France, I’m not used to it. Now the most important thing is to rest, to get better, to heal. The Olympics are coming, I hope to do my best. “
The second time Sagan doesn’t finish the Tour
This Tour 2021 will remain a big disappointment for the former triple world champion, who leaves the Grande Boucle before the Champs-Elysées only for the second time in ten participations. In 2017, he was excluded at the end of the 4th stage for causing the fall of Mark Cavendish in the final sprint following a nudge. This year, the one who has already won twelve stages on the Tour de France has not managed to do better than fifth, during the fourth and sixth stages. This Wednesday, he occupied ninth place in the points classification, 123 points behind leader Mark Cavendish. It is therefore not this year that he will win an eighth green jersey. But perhaps he is saving himself for 2022, under the colors of TotalEnergies, where his signature should be formalized on August 1?
