This year’s Criterium du Dauphine daring winner and one of the most interesting pre-Tour de France podium contenders, Andrew Talansky, is set to line-up at the Vuelta a Espana in a supporting capacity after he was forced out of the French grand tour as a consequence of two crashes.

Talansky abandoned the 101st edition of the Tour de France after eleventh stage, during which he overcame the pain and tears to fight a lone battle with a time limit that only Frenchmen responsible for granting daily combativity award were unable to appreciate.

As a consequence of two crashed earlier in the race, the 25-year old American suffered from acute sacroilitis - an inflammation of the sacroiliac joint, which connects the iliac bone, in the pelvis, to the spine, and upper respiratory infection, but according to Garmin-Sharp team he is already back on his bike and set to race the Vuelta a Espana.

Talansky will not appear in the Spanish grand tour as Garmin-Sharp leader, though, this role will be shared again by Dan Martin and Ryder Hesjedal, as young American requested to ride a race to pay back his team mates for a support they provided him with in the past.

“Andrew unfortunately had to leave the Tour, which was a huge shame for him and the team because he was in great shape and we were all focused to help him achieve his goals,” Jonathan Vaughters told Cyclingnews.

“Andrew is very keen on riding the Vuelta. It’s a race he’s done well at in the past but he was really keen on riding as a way of paying back Ryder for the work he did for him in the Dauphiné, and Dan for all the work he did at the Tour de France last year.”