UAE Team Emirates' Louis Meintjes 11th in GC After Dramatic Queen Stage

 

Dubai, UAE, July 10, 2017:  One of the toughest stages on this year’s Tour saw UAE Team Emirates’ Louis Meintjes moving up in the General Classification and Youth Classification to place 11th and second respectively. The stage was won by Rigoberto Uran (Cannondale-Drapac) while Chris Froome (Team Sky) retained the Yellow Jersey.  

 

Speaking after the stage the South African UAE Team Emirates’ rider said: “Today was terrible but the team was great and they really helped me. However, at the end I didn’t have the legs to follow through on the last climb and I faltered for a bit, then I kept on fighting till the end. The way from the descent to the finish was very fast which made it difficult to make up for lost time.”

 

The stage proved to be dramatic and challenging for all teams with multiple crashes throughout. Manuele Mori, UAE Team Emirates’ Italian rider, was involved in a crash with multiple riders early on in the stage, sustaining an injury that forced him to abandon the race.

 

Commenting on Mori’s condition Dr. Angelucci, UAE Team Emirates’ Physician said: 'In the crash, Mori suffered a dislocated right shoulder which was immediately treated by the race medical service. He was transported to Oyonnax hospital, where X-rays found a fracture of the right shoulder blade with pneumothorax and a little pneumomediastinum. He'll spend the night in the hospital.'

 

UAE Team Emirates’ have a day off racing after nine hard stages and 1,583km, as Monday will see the first rest day of Le Tour in Dordogne before stage ten begins in Périgueux. 

 

After the arduous climbs of tonight’s stage, stage ten will see the peloton head to Périgueux where riders will be taken on a 178km journey to the east with a more than likely sprint finish in Bergerac.