The Paris-Nice champion was regarded one of the outsiders to excel on the Volta a Catalunya third stage’s finish perfectly suited for punchy riders, however, the reality proved different as Carlos Betancur crossed the line on La Molina 67th, almost two minutes behind Joaquim Rodriguez (Katusha). It turned out that a fever prevented the AG2R La Mondiale leader from performing well yesterday and eventually forced him to abandon the race.

Betancur joined the likes of Danilo Hondo and Heimar Zubeldia (Trek Factory Racing), who also were forced to withdraw from competition due to illness. According to Cyclingnews, the 24-year old Colombian suffers a general infectious syndrome which requires an antibiotic treatment, and thus he will enjoy a short rest period during a next couple of days.

In his absence, Domenico Pozzovivo and Romain Bardet will co-captain the French WorldTour outfit in Volta a Catalunya, as the duo stay in contention after finishing within a top ten in the third stage, sixth and ninth respectively.

It is yet to be confirmed whether Betancur would participate in the Vuelta al Pais Vasco (from 7.04) as it was initially planned. The mountainous race held in Basque country was intended to be a final preparation for the punchy Colombian towards his first big objectives of 2014 season, Ardennes Classics.