Pauline Ferrand-Prévoit has officially withdrawn from La Vuelta Femenina ahead of stage 5, as confirmed by her team Visma-Lease A Bike. After finishing 34th and struggling in the earlier stages, she was deemed unfit to continue. The managerial criticism emphasized her inability to keep pace on critical climbs, hampering her chances in the general classification. Despite Visma team leader Marianne Vos leading in points, their overall position remains precarious with upcoming challenges. The team aims to maintain competitive spirit despite setbacks.
"If you start the Vuelta with ambitions for the GC, you should not be dropped on a climb like this," he told WielerFlits on Wednesday. "Unfortunately, that did happen. Now it will be difficult to play a significant role in the classification, but we will not give up the fight yet."
"I went for the highest possible, but a second place was not possible today. I really had to fight hard to stay with it. When Anna went, I knew it would be crucial to respond right away."
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