Bora - Argon 18 sprint talent Sam Bennett had to abandon from his first three-week tour shortly after the start of stage 17. The 24-year-old fought his way well through the first week of the Tour as well as through the Pyrenees and in the end had to pay the frize to all the efforts after yesterday's rest day giving up today completely exhausted.

With Sam Bennettø withdrawal, Bora - Argon 18 continues the last few stages of the Tour de France through the Alps with only five riders.

"It was never going to be an easy task, even if I was at full health. I think the lack of preparation really showed, it made the race even more difficult and it is such a hard race. The biggest race of the year in which you can’t hide anywhere but I am really happy that I did it and that I got so far. I pushed my body and raced more and more to see what I can get out of myself.

“I learned from the race and to see the standard that I need to get is very important. I also think that if I was at 100% that I would have raced a lot better. I felt like I didn’t get to show what I am about in this race which is disappointing and then being last in GC wasn’t good for the ego either. But I went on until I was completely empty until I literally had nothing left. It’s been all I could give“, states Sam Bennett after stage 17.

"With adding Sam to the Tour team we did not expect that he has the stamina for the entire three weeks of the Tour de France. We have a long-term plan with him and this first Tour start was part of it. Of course, we had hoped that he gets more opportunities to show himself in the sprints. But unfortunately there was only one real mass sprint in the first week, in which he sprinted to a good 10th place. It was important that he came as far as possible, because each Tour stage puts him a little further in his development. Thus we rate his great performance as a success.", Ralph Denk comments on the discontinuation of Sam Bennett.