The double French world champion, who must defend his title in less than a month in Australia, slipped in a turn within the peloton 64 kilometers from the finish. He was taken on a stretcher to the nearest hospital.
After his terrible fall in the classic Liège-Bastogne-Liège in April, the puncheur had not been selected by his Quick-Step team to participate in the Tour de France this summer.
He then tested positive for covid at the end of July at the Tour de Wallonie, feeling “a little tired” when preparing for the Spanish loop.
“When I see since the start of the season, the shitty feelings I’ve had, then I’m happy to be able to do a good job in the Vuelta. It’s getting better and better”, he assured Sunday after the 9th stage.
Remco Evenepoel loses a new teammate in the defense of his leader’s red jersey, after Pieter Serry, who tested positive for Covid on Sunday.
The Belgian praised his luxury teammate on Monday. “I haven’t seen many multiple world champions do things the way he did,” the “little cannibal” said of Alaphilippe’s work at Vuelta.
This is the sixth abandonment on Wednesday in the Spanish loop, after the five positive Covid tests of Simon Yates (BikeExchange), Pavel Sivakov (Ineos), Roger Adria, Hector Carretero and Pau Miquel Delgado (Ken Pharma).
