Although he started today’s stage, the injuries from yesterday’s sprint crash have proven to be too much and Tyler Farrar has been forced to quit the race.
The American Garmin-Cervélo rider suffered what his team termed ‘severe contusions on his hip’ in his accidental tangle with Vacansoleil rider Michal Golas. The Polish rider received 17 stitches to his face afterwards and didn’t line out this morning.
Although Farrar himself didn’t sign on and was mistakenly reported by some media outlets as being a non-starter, he did in fact ride the early part of the stage. However 36 kilometres after the start in Talavera de la Reina, Vuelta officials confirmed that he had climbed off his bike.
The news is a blow to the rider and his team, both as it prevents him being able to add a Vuelta stage win to the one he took in the Tour de France in July, and also because it affects his chances of trying to win this year’s world road race championships.
The event is being held on a course in Copenhagen thought suited to sprinters, and Farrar fancied his chances of chasing a medal or even the rainbow jersey there.
However withdrawing from the Vuelta is a big setback to his plans as the race is so important in building up for the single-day event. The past ten world champions have ridden all or a substantial portion of the Spanish tour. He joins other pre-worlds favourites Mark Cavendish (HTC Highroad) and Matti Breschel (Rabobank) in exiting the race early.
While Cavendish will compete in Denmark, Breschel is very uncertain about his chances. He broke two fingers and suffered various other injuries in his crash two days ago.
Today's withdrawal is the second early retirement from a Grand Tour this year. He stopped the Giro d'Italia in May after the crash and death of his friend Wouter Weylandt (Leopard Trek).