2023 Vuelta a España winner Sepp Kuss has deserted the 2024 Critérium du Dauphiné and won’t begin the ultimate day’s racing on Sunday.
The Visma-Lease A Bike climber “has not felt at 100% in current phases,” his staff posted on X, previously Twitter.
“Along with his preparation for the Tour de France in thoughts, it was determined to take the required relaxation.”
After a tough week, Kuss was mendacity thirty eighth total after stage 7, 30:55 on former teammate and race chief Primož Roglič (Bora-Hansgrohe). He misplaced over three minutes within the mid-week time trial after which shed time steadily within the two main mountain phases on Friday and Saturday.
Kuss finest efficiency within the Critérium du Dauphine to this point was in 2020 when he received a stage and completed tenth total.
Kuss is predicted to play his common key function for the Dutch staff within the upcoming Tour de France. However with ongoing questionmarks over the participation of double defending champion and teammate Jonas Vingegaard, it has but to be seen what the precise plans are for Visma-Lease A Bike in biking’s prime stage race.
Visma-Lease A Bike have had three abandons within the Critérium du Dauphiné to this point, with Dylan van Baarle and Steven Kruijswijk each pressured to give up on account of their accidents from the stage 5 mass crash.
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On the plus aspect, Matteo Jorgenson stays within the race together with three different teammates, with the 2024 Paris-Good winner at present mendacity second total, 1:02 down on Roglič, as he continues what’s quick turning into a breakthrough season for the younger American racer.
The Critérium du Dauphiné has seen quite a few abandons this yr, many on account of the stage 5 crash. 21 riders give up both earlier than or throughout stage 7 alone and an additional six have been reported DNS on stage 8. Alongside Kuss, Astana Qazaqstan’s Harold Tejada, Ryan Gibbons (Lidl-Trek), Clément Champoussin (Arkea-B&B Lodges), Tom Paquot (Intermarché-Wanty) and Mark Donovan (Q36.5) all didn’t take to the ultimate startline of the 2024 race.
