A tough day at the office comes to an end for Matt Teggart. But his problems would follow him into the following day and he is now out of the Tour de Bretagne (Photo: Audrey Duval)
Matt Teggart Team Wiggins out of Tour de Bretagne
Having ridden very well already this season, Matt Teggart has been dealt a difficult hand at the Tour de Bretagne in France.
The Team Wiggins man was forced out of the race during stage 5 yesterday after some unwanted drama.
Teggart’s problem began on Saturday during the 162.7km stage from Clohars-Carnoët to Grand-Champ.
His team mate James Fouche began the day 6th overall and just 18 seconds off the yellow jersey.
Teggart got held up in a crash, in which Fouche crashed and damaged his bike.
In an effort to try and protect the Kiwi’s position in the general standings, Teggart gave him his bike.
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The Irish rider, who won a Rás stage last year and held the yellow jersey, then got a spare bike from the team car and got going again.
However, as he was getting organised in a small group to get back into the bunch through the cavalcade disaster struck.
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One of the riders he was with rode into Teggart’s back wheel, damaging both the wheel and his rear mech.
And because he was already on his replacement bike, he found himself in a bind with 70km remaining in the stage.
The team gave him a spare bike belonging to one of the other riders. Teggart adjusted the saddle height as he rode.
And when he reached the finishing circuit Fouche had changed back to his own bike. So Teggart was able to switch to his original machine.
However, having ridden hard in a bid to make the time limit on a bike not set up for him, Teggart aggravated an old knee injury.
He started the stage the following day, on Sunday, but a flare-up to his knee forced him out. He is hopeful some rest and treatment will resolve the issue within a few days.
Michael O’Loughlin had also started the seven-stage race but was also forced to abandon.
He was hit by a motorist while out training in Girona last Monday. And while he got through the first two stages in France he was forced out on the third day.
It means the only two Irish riders in the event have abandoned. Hopefully both can shrug off the set-back very quickly.
Today’s stage of the Tour de Bretagne was won by Julius van den Berg (SEG Racing Academy) from a breakaway.
Jarno Mobach, a 19-year-old Dutchman riding for Development Team Sunweb, retained the yellow jersey with one stage remaining.
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