Alexis Vuillermoz recovers from finish-line drama in Sunday’s stage at Tour de France
TotalEnergies will decide during Monday's rest day if the popular Frenchman will continue in the Tour de France.
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GENEVA (VN) — Alexis Vuillermoz says he’s recovered from his finish-line drama when he collapsed on the ground at the end of Sunday’s ninth stage at the Tour de France.
The TotalEnergies rider vomited during the stage and then was attended to by medical staff after crossing the line high in the French Alps. He was later transported to a hospital in Thonon-les-Bains citing severe fatigue and heat stroke.
“I am reassured to be able to leave the hospital after a battery of examinations,” the French rider wrote on social media. “Thank you to the medical teams for the care. We will take stock [Monday] of my condition with the team. For now, I will try to recover after this day more than complicated.”
The popular French rider finished 159th at nearly 36 minutes behind stage winner Bob Jungels (Ag2r-Citroēn) in the hard climbing day featuring two first-category climbs in increasing summer heat.
Victime d’un coup de chaud pendant l’étape, Alexis a été pris en charge par le personnel médical de l’équipe et de la course à l’arrivée. Par précaution, il a ensuite été transporté à l’hôpital de Thonon-les-Bains afin d’effectuer des examens complémentaires. pic.twitter.com/BOjw9IsjEM
— Team TotalEnergies (@TeamTotalEnrg) July 10, 2022
He was seen vomiting from his bike and was struggling to keep the pace on the demands of the stage high in the Alps.
“It was one of the worst days on the bike of my life, exhausted from the first kilometers, impossible to swallow anything,” he said. “And 200km like that is long, very long.”
TotalEnergies will decide Monday if he take the start in Tuesday’s 10th stage.
On the upside, Vuillermoz said he passed a COVID-19 test while being attended to by medical staff.
Like the rest of the Tour peloton, everyone cleared rest-day COVID controls.
