Tao Geoghegan Hart will not participate in the Tour de France. His team, Lidl-Trek, announced this in a press release on Friday morning. He was ruled out following a crash in the Critérium du Dauphiné and will not be fit in time, especially since he contracted COVID-19 after leaving that race. A huge blow for Lidl-Trek, which had planned to appoint Hart as their leader for the overall classification.
Geoghegan Hart switched from INEOS Grenadiers to Lidl-Trek last winter, where he immediately gained full trust with a leadership role in the Tour. His crash in the 2023 Giro d'Italia, where he broke his hip and didn't race again for INEOS, did nothing to change that. The 2020 Giro winner had shown excellent form in recent months heading toward the main goal of the summer.
However, things went completely wrong in the Dauphiné. First, there was a massive crash on day five, where a wet descent also took down many other big names. Geoghegan Hart collided with an electric pole and did not finish the race. Back home, he contracted COVID-19. "I thought those days were over, but unfortunately, I haven't been able to ride all week," he said on the matter.
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Geoghegan Hart let down, will Ciccone be fit in time?
In a press release from Lidl-Trek, the team stated that Geoghegan Hart is also recovering from a broken rib from the Dauphiné. "This kept him sidelined for longer than initially expected. Wishing Tao all the best for a good recovery. The Team can’t wait to see him back racing at 100 percent as soon as he is ready."
Lidl-Trek is in a tough spot heading into the Tour de France. Besides Geoghegan Hart, Giulio Ciccone also contracted COVID-19 in the Dauphiné. The Italian was unable to train for several days, but no decision has been made regarding his Tour readiness yet. Earlier, IDLProCycling.com spoke with team leader Steven de Jongh about Lidl-Trek's alternative plan, which already considered Ciccone. "If he gets through the first few days well, I expect we'll see great things from him," said De Jongh about the Italian.
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