Rigoberto Uran not giving up on Tour GC as Roubaix injuries cost him time in the Alps
The Colombian struggled on the first real climbing test in the Alps on stage 10 of the Tour de France
Rigoberto Uran (EF Education First), one year after placing second behind Chris Froome, will remain fighting for the Tour de France overall despite injuries that cost him on Tuesday on the first Alpine stage.
Uran lost 2-36 minutes to the favourites group, dropped on the final pass en route to Le Grand Bornard, where the Tour last arrived in 2009.
>>> Five talking points from stage 10 of the 2018 Tour de France
"[I won't leave the race], of course not, but we have to look at how we can make the race," Uran said warming down at the bus on a turbo trainer.
"It's obvious that when you have a crash like this you have to reconsider your options."
The Colombian slid on some gravel in the ninth stage on Sunday to Roubaix. He tried to recover on the rest day on Monday, but the speed in the Alps was too much.
"It hurts, yes, my back, my knees, a little bit all over, and during the race, it's not so easy to go at a high rhythm. Today we really noted that. When it was a big group, it cost me a lot to stay there, so I was really feeling it out on the road."
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Uran lost 1-28 minutes on Sunday and another 2-36 on Tuesday. With that, he sits 22nd overall at 7-08.
On stage 10, Team Sky's mountain men controlled the pace while a group of escapees maintained their space. Frenchman Julian Alaphilippe (Quick-Step Floors) won the stage after making a late solo attack.
"I tried to stay in the front group today, but the blow from Sunday was pretty complicated," said Uran, who lost contact on the final Colombière climb.
"Today in the race I was suffering, with some pain in the back. Now we are behind quite a bit and we'll regroup as a team and see what we can do. Tomorrow we will look at how we take on the stage."
At 108.5 kilometres, the stage to La Rosière on Wednesday could potentially explode early and leave little hiding space for Uran and those suffering.
"Tomorrow is harder, shorter and more explosive, so that's why I am out here on the rollers," he said. "We are here until the final. We are not giving up."
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Gregor Brown is an experienced cycling journalist, based in Florence, Italy. He has covered races all over the world for over a decade - following the Giro, Tour de France, and every major race since 2006. His love of cycling began with freestyle and BMX, before the 1998 Tour de France led him to a deep appreciation of the road racing season.
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