French cyclist Thibaut Pinot, who had hopes of winning theTour de France, pulled out of the race in tears on Friday with a leg injury.
The FDJ rider’s Tour, which concludes on Sunday in Paris, came to an end an hour into stage 19 in the Alps.
The 29-year-old Pinot was in fifth place at the start of Friday’s stage, just under two minutes behind leader Julian Alaphilippe.
He called for medical help — strapping for his left thigh — but then gradually drifted away from the peloton before stopping.
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Bernard Hinault was the last Frenchman to win the Tour de France in 1985.
Pinot didn’t finish the Tour in 2016 and 2017 and was unable to compete in the 2018 race due to illness.
More to follow.
