In the twelfth stage, the Tour de France for David de la Cruz came to an end. The 34-year-old Catalan from Astana was participating in the French race for the third time, and it is the second time that he has not been able to reach Paris. A fall at km 26 of the stage, after overcoming the Thizy-les-Bourgs Hill (3rd) and having tried to break away on several occasions since the start of the stage in Roanne, meant his goodbye. He was transferred to the hospital, but luckily he had no breaks.
“Contusions on the right elbow and shoulder and left hip, as well as multiple abrasions on the skin of the entire body. She also received stitches in her right elbow.”, was the medical part of the corridor. After the stage, he commented on what happened: “A rider in front of me fell in a right-hand curve and I couldn’t avoid it. Then I automatically saw that I couldn’t ride the bike or handle the pain. In the hospital they ruled out fractures in the first examination. If it is confirmed it will be a relief, because it gives me hope for La Vuelta, the first thought I had when I fell after leaving the Tour. It’s a pity not to continue here, for me it was the main goal of the season, where I was looking for a stage win”.
Astana is being the team hardest hit by falls on this Tour: Cavendish, Luis León Sánchez and the aforementioned De la Cruz had to leave. There are five riders left in action for the Kazakh team. David ends his contract with them this season and everything points to a saligives. “I am speaking with several teams, and there is one of them that has a special interest. Of all the ones I have spoken to, Astana is none of them, so I see it as very difficult to continue here”, he told AS during the Tour. Caja Rural, NetApp, Quick Step, Sky, UAE and Astana, David’s teams since he became professional. By 2024 he touches, in almost all probability, another change.