(Serre-Chevalier) The Dutchman Mathieu van der Poel gave up on Wednesday halfway through the eleventh stage of the Tour de France towards the Col du Granon.
Escaped at the start of the stage with his great rival, the Belgian Wout van Aert, van der Poel, 27, was picked up and then dropped by the peloton, before throwing in the towel.
The double winner of the Tour of Flanders had been only a shadow of himself since the start of the Grande Boucle in Denmark.
The Tour was his first race since the Giro in May, the only major tour he has completed in his career.
Last year, he left the Tour de France at the end of the eighth stage, after winning a victory and wearing the yellow jersey for six days.
This is the second retirement of the day after that of the Belgian Oliver Naesen (AG2R).
