Amanda Spratt’s shocking luck continues, with the Australian cycling star forced to withdraw from the Tour de France Femmes because of injury.
Her latest setback after a crash in stage two comes as a media report stunningly claimed Spratt would leave BikeExchange-Jayco, her only professional team, at the end of the of the season.
Spratt was one of the casualties in the crash chaos that marked the end of Monday’s second stage and she lost nearly 10 minutes.
“Not how I imagined my TdF ending,” Spratt tweeted.
“Feels like one thing after another at the moment. I finished the stage after a crash and hard impact, but woke up not being able to move well or breathe properly. I need time to recover now.”
Spratt also hit the deck during stage one in Paris.
Earlier this month she was in the top 10 overall at the Giro d’Italia Donne, another major race, when COVID-19 forced her out.
Also, Spratt is returning to top form after major surgery late last year to fix Iliac artery endofibrosis, a condition that has afflicted several professional cyclists.
“Luckily, no broken bones, but with the pain she’s in and the lack of movement, she’s not capable of going on the bike today,” team director Martin Vestby said.
“That’s sad for Spratty, she’s had a lot of bad luck lately and this comes on top of it, in the biggest race of the season.”
Separately, Spratt’s management declined to comment on the report on her future, from respected cycling media website VeloNews.
It would be a stunning development if true, given the 34-year-old’s loyalty to the squad.
A BikeExchange-Jayco spokesman said they are unaware of her plans.
The story emerged only a day after team owner, prominent Australian sports benefactor Gerry Ryan, confirmed he would continue