Tao Geoghegan Hart has been pressured to withdraw from the Volta a Catalunya earlier than Tuesday’s second stage after falling sick with digestive points.
The Briton was main Lidl-Trek on the week-long stage race, heading up a staff together with Quinn Simmons, Juan Pedro López, and Lennard Kämna – who’s again racing for the primary time in a yr.
However, the staff introduced on Tuesday morning that Geoghegan Hart would not begin stage 2.
“Following digestive troubles throughout stage 1 of Volta a Catalunya, Tao Geoghegan Hart won’t be beginning immediately’s second stage. Get properly quickly Tao!” Lidl-Trek introduced on social media.
Geoghegan Hart began his 2025 marketing campaign in Portugal on the Figueira Champions Classic and the Volta ao Algarve, ending ninth on the latter. Earlier this month he took on the Faun-Ardèche Classic and Faun Drome Classic earlier than heading to Catalunya this week.
He’s set to focus on the Tour de France this summer time, together with his provisional schedule main as much as the race together with April’s Tour de Romandie and the Critérium du Dauphiné in June.
Writing in an Instagram submit, Geoghegan Hart stated that he had spent a big portion of Monday’s opening stage vomiting, including that he hadn’t been capable of eat for the reason that end.
“Gutted to be out of Volta Catalunya earlier than it had even actually begun,” Geoghegan Hart wrote. “I spent a lot of the stage yesterday throwing up something I attempted to eat, and after not having the ability to get any gasoline within the tank for the reason that end yesterday, I gained’t be lining up initially immediately.
“It was per week I used to be tremendous wanting ahead to and had educated all by way of the winter towards. For now, I can solely thank the Lidl-Trek employees & riders for the assist and stay up for getting wholesome and racing once more.
“Here we’re on the ups and downs of the street.”
The Volta a Catalunya continues with an anticipated dash stage on Tuesday afternoon forward of the race’s first mountain stage over the Coll de la Crueta and La Molina on Wednesday. Matthew Brennan (Visma-Lease A Bike) leads the race after successful stage 1 in Sant Feliu de Guíxols.
