Roglic's Tour de France Journey Cut Short After Stage 12 Crash

Slovenian cyclist Primoz Roglic's hopes of triumphing in this year's Tour de France have been dashed following a devastating crash during stage 12. The 34-year-old rider considered a top contender in the competition, sustained injuries in a late incident that occurred merely 10 kilometers away from the finish line, leading him to withdraw from the race, SSP reported.

During the 204-kilometer stage from Aurillac to Villeneuve-sur-Lot, Roglic endured a heavy fall, resulting in a bloodied right shoulder by the end of the day. As a consequence of this mishap, he slipped from fourth to sixth place in the general classification after losing a significant two minutes and 27 seconds to the race leaders.

In response to Roglic's unfortunate exit, Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe released a statement affirming that the cyclist's attention would now shift towards "upcoming goals." The team shared, "Primoz Roglic underwent thorough evaluation from our medical team following yesterday's stage and once again this morning. The decision has been made for him not to start [Friday's stage]. We wish you a swift recovery, Primoz."

Friday's stage 13, spanning a distance of 165.3 kilometers from Agen to Pau, will proceed without Roglic's participation. This setback comes as the latest blow to Roglic's Tour de France journey, further compounded by his crash on stage 11's final descent just a day prior. On that occasion, his rear wheel skidded on a tight left-hand corner.

While Roglic boasts numerous triumphs, including three victories in the Vuelta a Espana and emerging as the Giro d'Italia champion last year, his experiences in the Tour de France have proved more tumultuous. Despite a fourth-place finish in 2018 and a second-place finish behind his compatriot Tadej Pogacar two years later, Roglic's previous Tours in 2021 and 2022 were marred by injuries as he crashed out of both competitions.