Ramon Sinkeldam gutted to leave Tour de France during stage 14: "I didn't want to leave the Tour like that"

For Ramon Sinkeldam, his Tour de France came to an end on Saturday during the fourteenth stage to Morzine. Earlier in this Tour, former Dutch champion Sinkeldam was an important link in the four stage victories of sprinter Jasper Philipsen, but the tough second week has become too much for the key leadout rider who was involved in a mass crash at the beginning of the stage.

"I didn't have my best day in a very tough stage. I had to unload too quickly from the gruppetto and was isolated. From that moment on there was no reason to push any further. I'm disappointed because I don't have the level to survive the mountains at the moment. I didn't want to leave the Tour like that," he says through his team.

The experienced rider will fly back to the Netherlands today. "To recover as well as possible there," said Sinkeldam, who is the second Dutchman after Fabio Jakobsen to give up in this Tour de France. After fourteen stages, eighteen riders have thrown in the towel.