UAE Team Emirates down to four as Rafal Majka abandons Tour de France with muscle injury

UAE Team Emirates have lost yet another rider this morning at the Tour de France, with key lieutenant Rafal Majka forced to leave the race after a muscle injury sustained during yesterday's stage 16.

The incident happened whilst riding the Mur de Péguère. Majka had hit the front of the group to set a strong pace for Tadej Pogacar, and under the pressure of the steep slopes his chain broke causing the Polish climber to quickly come to a halt. Having walked up, he then took a spare bike and finished the stage far behind the GC riders, but the incident caused something much worst than expected.

Majka had already been infected with Covid-19 but was allowed to stay in the race as was justified that he was not transmissible, however this morning he did not start at team doctor said he "sustained a strain injury to his thigh" during the event.

Majka had a "high-grade partial thickness tear of his right quadriceps muscle" which has as a consequence led him to be unable to ride and abandon the race this morning. After Marc Soler reached yesterday's stage outside the time limit, Vegard Stake Laengen and George Bennett abandoning with Covid-19, the team is left with only three riders to support the defending champion - and of those only Brandon McNulty has shown the capacity to ride well in the mountains.