“After he vomited on the descent of the Aspin, we told him that it had been enough" - Cian Uijtdebroeks pulled out of Tour de France by Movistar
CyclingFriday, 10 July 2026 at 13:38
Cian Uijtdebroeks waved goodbye to the Tour de France on Thursday as he abandoned the race during stage 6. On the slopes of the legendary Col du Tourmalet, his Movistar team took it out of his hands and pulled the plug.
The Belgian arrived at the Tour de France with lofty ambitions in his debut. Leading the Spanish team, things didn't go to plan from the off as it became clear something wasn't quite right during the opening stage, the team time trial.
As he lost time in the subsequent stages under intense heat, the team confirmed that he was suffering with a gastrointestinal infection and fever, but insisting he could ride on.
Questions were raised when sports director Jurgen Roelandts revealed that he had a fever of 37.3 degrees celsius, just short of what team doctors deemed as too dangerous to ride.
But as he dropped out of the favourites group before the Col du Tourmalet, and still with over 50 kilometers to go on the stage, Uijtdebroeks vomited on the descent of Col d'Aspin - the Tourmalet's pre-curser.
Final straw for Movistar
That was the final straw for Movistar as they took the decision to continue riding out of his hands: “The heat and his stomach problems meant he could not keep enough fluids or energy inside,” Roelandts told Sporza. “After he vomited on the descent of the Aspin, we told him that it had been enough.”
Understanding Uijtdebroeks' determination to continue riding and battle the illness, Roelandts knows it passed the point of sensibility.
“A rider never wants to abandon,” he added. “When it is clear that continuing is no longer sensible, we have to make that decision for him.”
The news represents a considerable disappointment for the 23-year-old, who based his season around La Grand Boucle. As leader of the team for the grand tour, Uijtdebroeks will look to recover from both illness and disappointment in the coming weeks.
Gavin QuinnCycling Journalist
Gavin Quinn is a cycling journalist and ultra-distance cyclist with a BA in Journalism from Dublin City University. Formerly the Press & Communications Officer for Cycling Ireland, Gavin has worked inside the national team at the World Championships and has reported for the Irish Mirror, Mirror UK, and The42.
His expertise is backed by elite-level access, having interviewed stars like Sam Bennett and Ben Healy, as well as immense personal endurance. In 2025, he completed a 12,000km solo cycle from Ireland to Vietnam, following a 4,600km tour across Europe. From the cobbles of Paris-Roubaix to the gradients of the Tourmalet, Gavin’s writing focuses on the "romance and brutality" of the sport. Having visited 50+ countries, he brings a global, cultural perspective to his coverage of the pro peloton for CyclingUpToDate.
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