Movistar’s difficult Tour de France has continued into the third week of the race as the team announced Tuesday morning that Matteo Jorgenson would be a DNS for stage 16.
The squad said that Jorgenson was pulling out after tearing his thigh muscle, adding to a growing list of abandons at this year's Tour de France.
One of Movistar’s most active riders in breakaways in this year’s Tour, Jorgenson, 24, was lying 48th overall. 2023 was his second Tour de France.
Notably on the attack on stage 9 on the Puy de Dôme where he was reeled in almost within sight of the line by Mike Woods (Israel-Premier Tech), the American then placed third on the transition stage to Belleville-en-Beaujolais, won by Ion Izagirre (Cofidis) after getting in the break of the day.
Movistar are now down to just four riders after leader Enric Mas crashed out on day one with a broken shoulderblade, and then Ruben Guerreiro and Antonio Pedrero both left the race injured after the crash-plagued stage 14.
“Unfortunately we have to tell you that Matteo Jorgenson cannot continue in the Tour de France and will not be starting Tuesday’s time trial,” Movistar said in a brief press release.
“The young North American has torn a muscle in his left thigh and is suffering from pain in the perineum. Both injuries require rest for a full recovery.”
All-rounder Alex Aranburu, former Giro d’Italia stage winner and fellow-Basque Gorka Izagirre, Austrian National Champion Gregor Muhlberger and Portuguese veteran time trial specialist Nelson Oliveira are Movistar’s four remaining riders for the final week of the 2023 Tour de France.
Jorgenson later took to Twitter to bid farewell to the Tour, saying that his injury would only get worse if he had continued to race.
"My Tour ends here," he wrote. "An ultrasound on the rest day yesterday confirmed what I thought after coming down in the big crash on Sunday. My right hamstring has a very similar tear to my left leg after a crash in Paris-Nice ast year. It will only get worse from racing"
My @LeTour ends here 😔An ultrasound on the rest day yesterday confirmed what I thought after coming down in the big crash on sunday. My right hamstring has a very similar tear to my left leg after a crash in paris-nice last year. It will only get worse from racing👋 pic.twitter.com/dbwzTJOk6CJuly 18, 2023
