Tour de France 2019

Dennis' shock withdrawal remains a mystery

BAGNERES-DE-BIGORRE • World time trial champion Rohan Dennis has wished his teammates well for the rest of the Tour de France, but offered no insight as to why he quit the race dramatically, a day before a stage he was fancied to win.

The Australian stopped at a feed zone 80km into Thursday's 12th stage when it was announced that he would be withdrawing from the race. He disappeared for several hours, prompting his team, Bahrain-Merida, to issue a statement on Twitter raising concerns over the 29-year-old's "welfare".

He later turned up at the Bahrain-Merida bus at the finish line, but left the bus with his agent and a team media officer, refusing to talk to the waiting media.

The team later said the rider made the decision "reluctantly", but offered no further clarity.

Nor did Dennis when he eventually issued a statement and said he was "very disappointed" to leave the race at this point, but stopped short of giving an explanation.

"Obviously, the individual time trial tomorrow had been a big goal for me and the team but, given my current feeling, it was the right decision to withdraw earlier today," said the rider, fancied to be in contention for yesterday's individual time trial stage in Pau.

"I wish my teammates the very best for the remainder of the race and would like to thank all the fans who cheered for me."

Amid the initial confusion, Bahrain-Merida sports director Gorazd Stangelj had said he was confused and disappointed that Dennis, who won the Tour of Switzerland time trial last month, had quit.

"We actually expected a big effort from him tomorrow," Stangelj said.

Rohan Dennis, seen riding at the Tour of Switzerland time trial he won last month, has withdrawn from the ongoing Tour de France without much of an explanation. PHOTO: EPA-EFE

"It was his decision today to stop in the feed zone. We tried to speak with him. He said, 'I don't want to talk' and just abandoned the race.

"His condition is not bad, he's good enough to perform at the Tour de France. For sure, it has nothing to do with his condition."

Tweets by broadcaster Eurosport suggested Dennis had an argument with his team over his helmet radio and that his decision to expend energy attempting to join the breakaway the day before a time trial might have added to existing friction.

The team later also said it had launched an investigation.

THE GUARDIAN, REUTERS, AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on July 20, 2019, with the headline Dennis' shock withdrawal remains a mystery. Subscribe