Gaviria withdraws from the Tour

Caja Rural-Seguros RGA isn't giving up, but it's a tough blow to take: Fernando Gaviria , former yellow jersey winner and expected star of this 2026 Tour de France, was forced to retire after a devastating crash in the sprint of stage 12. This loss weighs heavily on the wildcard team, making its debut in the Grande Boucle in its current guise.

The Colombian veteran, who had already won two stages at the Tour in 2018 and wore the yellow jersey for a few days, fell to the ground about 400 meters from the finish line after a wheel contact with Van Mechelen. A high-speed crash, with a domino effect, that left no escape.

Gaviria managed to cross the finish line, supported by teammate Stefano Oldani , but his condition was already worrying. After a visit to the Tour's medical team, he appeared with a heavily bandaged left shoulder.

This isn't the first blow for Caja Rural in this Tour: already on stage 5, finishing in Pau, Alex Molenaar was forced to retire with a broken finger after another crash. But losing Gaviria is a different story. As Fernández himself emphasized just a few days ago, having such an experienced and charismatic rider was crucial not only for the results, but also for the cohesion of the group.

"If anyone really made us dream big in this Tour, it was him. Beyond the sprint results, he was a key figure in holding the team together."