UAE Team Emirates have lost a second climbing domestique from the Tour de France in two days with news that Rafal Majka will not start today's stage 17. It is the latest blow to Tour champion and 2nd placed overall Tadej Pogačar, with Majka the biggest loss to date.
Majka broke his chain while climbing out of the saddle on the final climb of yesterday's stage 16. He has suffered a thigh strain as a result, meaning he will not start today. It is a major blow to the team, which lost Marc Soler yesterday, when he was ill and finished outside the time cut.
UAE Team Emirates medical director Dr Adrian Rotunno said: "Majka sustained a strain injury to his thigh after some mechanical trouble on stage 16 when his chain broke. This resulted in a high-grade partial thickness tear of his right quadriceps muscle, and unfortunately due to the muscle damage is unable to ride."
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Majka is the fourth rider from the team to be forced out of the race as both Vegard Stake Laengen and George Bennett have already abandoned after contracting Covid-19, before Soler's elimination yesterday.
While Majka also tested positive for Covid-19 earlier in the race, he had been able to remain in the Tour because his viral load was deemed low enough to be non-contagious. He and Brandon McNulty - especially Majka - had ridden very well in support of Pogačar.
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#TDF2022| Stage 1️⃣6️⃣ 178Km
? Carcassonne - ? Foix
Problema mecánico para Rafal Majka (@majkaformal) cuando marcada el ritmo del grupo del líder y Marc Soler descolgado por problemas gástricos.
Mala tarde para el equipo de Podgačar. pic.twitter.com/vUheuWsKl3— Bauhauss (@JBauhauss) July 19, 2022
