British rider Tulett clarifies Vuelta a España withdrawal for Visma | Lease a Bike

The Vuelta a España lineup of Visma | Lease a Bike featured few surprises with leaders Wout van Aert and Sepp Kuss, but there was one small surprise: the inclusion of Attila Valter, whereas it was previously expected that Wilco Kelderman and/or Ben Tulett would ride for the Dutch team. Tulett has now provided further explanation.

Valter announced after his fourth place in the Olympic road race in Paris that he would focus on the Tour of Poland, but the Hungarian was not included in the lineup for the seven-day WorldTour race. Kelderman was present there, and how: the Dutchman finished on the podium twice in the first three stages and could have been leading instead of teammate Jonas Vingegaard if not for his crash in the time trial.

Meanwhile, Tulett was still nursing his wounds after a crash in the Tour of Burgos, which was supposed to be his final preparation race for the Vuelta. Visma | Lease a Bike initially reported that he had a dislocated shoulder, but he has since provided more clarity through his social media channels.

"Unfortunately, after my crash in Burgos, I will not be participating in the Vuelta starting Saturday," said Tulett, who has more damage than originally communicated. "Several fractures in my shoulder will keep me out of competition for the time being, as I will need a period of recovery. I am grateful for the support I have received from my family, friends, and Visma | Lease a Bike, and I want to wish my teammates all the best for the next three weeks."

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Tulett hasn’t had a very lucky year with Visma | Lease a Bike

It is still unknown whether Tulett will race again this season, but it seems like it will be a race against time. His first year with Visma | Lease a Bike appears to be turning into a year of bad luck, as he had already fallen ill in the Basque Country and missed the hilly classics as a result. His best result so far is a ninth place in a stage of the Tour of Switzerland.