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 latest phases,” his crew posted on X, previously Twitter.
“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 general 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 greatest efficiency within the Critérium du Dauphine up to now was in 2020 when he gained a stage and completed tenth general.
Kuss is anticipated to play his common key function for the Dutch crew within the upcoming Tour de France. But 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 up to now, with Dylan van Baarle and Steven Kruijswijk each compelled to stop 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-Nice winner at the moment mendacity second general, 1:02 down on Roglič, as he continues what’s quick changing into a breakthrough season for the younger American racer.
The Critérium du Dauphiné has seen quite a few abandons this 12 months, many on account of the stage 5 crash. 21 riders stop both earlier than or throughout stage 7 alone and an extra six have been reported DNS on stage 8. Alongside Kuss, Astana Qazaqstan’s Harold Tejada, Ryan Gibbons (Lidl-Trek), Clément Champoussin (Arkea-B&B Hotels), Tom Paquot (Intermarché-Wanty) and Mark Donovan (Q36.5) all didn’t take to the ultimate startline of the 2024 race.