More bad news for Picnic-PostNL as Degenkolb ruled out of Tour de France
John Degenkolb has long been a pillar of his team's Tour de France squad and had been hoping to be recovered in time for what would be his 11th appearance, however, the 36-year-old will remain sidelined as he continues to recover from the injuries sustained at the Tour of Flanders.
Degenkolb crashed just after the halfway point of the cobbled Monument, joining teammates Tim Naberman and Alex Edmondson in the nearby hospital. The German came off worst of the trio, with fractures to his collarbone, elbow and wrist, requiring surgery and a long period out of competition.
Like teammate Fabio Jakobsen, who is following medical advice and taking it slow and steady after iliac artery surgery, Degenkolb's seat on the Picnic-PostNL Tour bus will now be filled by someone else as the team seeks to scrounge much-needed UCI points in the battle to avoid relegation.