Cian Uijtdebroeks’ nightmare Tour de France debut ends in abandon as illness proves too much on brutal Stage 6
Cycling
Cian Uijtdebroeks’ first Tour de France has ended on the opening mountain test, with the Movistar leader abandoning Stage 6 after illness, lost time and a shoe problem on the Col d’Aspin.
The Belgian had arrived at the race as Movistar’s general classification hope, but his debut Tour never truly recovered after fever and stomach problems affected the opening week. On the brutal Pyrenean stage to Gavarnie-Gedre, Uijtdebroeks was distanced as UAE Team Emirates – XRG began to lift the pace before the Tourmalet, and his race was over soon after.
Movistar leader’s Tour unravels
Uijtdebroeks’ withdrawal is a major blow for Movistar, who had handed him leadership at his first Tour de France with the Spanish team. Instead of testing himself deep into the mountains, the Belgian spent much of the opening week fighting to stay in contention.
He had already lost time across the early stages, including during the Barcelona team time trial, and was again under pressure on the first uphill finishes of the race. His race had also been compromised by illness, with fever, gastroenteritis and diarrhoea making recovery, fuelling and hydration harder during a Tour already being raced in punishing temperatures.
Movistar had hoped his condition was slowly improving before Stage 6, but the first high-mountain day left no room to hide. Once the race reached the Pyrenees and UAE Team Emirates – XRG began to tighten control, Uijtdebroeks was quickly in trouble again.
Shoe issue on Col d’Aspin before abandon
Uijtdebroeks was distanced on the Col d’Aspin as UAE began to raise the pace through Nils Politt and Tim Wellens. The Belgian was held back by a shoe problem, calling urgently for the Movistar team car before receiving a replacement.
By then, the favourites’ group was already shrinking and the Tourmalet still remained before the long final climb to Gavarnie-Gedre. Uijtdebroeks never made it back once UAE’s pressure began to split the race.
He later abandoned, ending a painful debut Tour before the race had even reached the summit of its first true high-mountain stage. His withdrawal came on a brutal day in the Pyrenees, with Arvid de Kleijn and Bert Van Lerberghe also leaving the race.
For Uijtdebroeks, the abandon closes a Tour that had gone wrong almost from the start. Fever, stomach problems, lost time and then a badly timed equipment issue left Movistar without their GC leader before the end of Stage 6.
Kieran WoodDeputy Editor-in-Chief
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He regularly contributes to DartsNews.com and CyclingUpToDate.com, where he covers professional cycling and darts. In cycling, his work includes liveblogs from major races, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, alongside race reports and analysis. He has also conducted interviews with professional riders.
His reporting spans the full racing calendar, from one-day classics to stage races, with a focus on accurate, real-time coverage and clear contextual analysis. For statistics, results, and historical context, he regularly uses resources such as ProCyclingStats. To support reporting on rider activity and training context where relevant, he also references Strava.
In his work, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles as new, verified information becomes available.
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