SISTERON, France (AP) 鈥� Defending champion pulled out of the Women’s Tour de France ahead of Saturday’s eighth and penultimate stage after feeling unwell.
The French rider’s Visma-Lease a Bike team said that the decision to pull her out of the race was made after consultation with the team’s medical staff.
鈥淯nfortunately, Pauline was not feeling well this morning,鈥� the team said. 鈥淚t has been decided that she will not start today. We wish Pauline a speedy recovery.鈥�
An at the Paris Olympics in 2024, she won the Women’s Tour de France on her debut last year.
She was in 14th place overall heading into Stage 8, a flat 172-kilometer (107-mile) route from Sisteron in southeast France to Nice made for sprinters.
Polish rider Katarzyna Niewiadoma-Phinney was in the overall lead after from Marlen Reusser with a brilliant solo climb to victory up Mont Ventoux on Friday.
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