Stomach infection forces Carapaz out of Tour de France

Ecuador's Richard Carapaz, who finished third at the Giro d'Italia earlier this month, will miss the Tour de France, which starts next week, due to a stomach infection, his team EF Education-EasyPost said on Saturday.

Tokyo Olympics gold medallist Carapaz, who won the mountains classification at last year's Tour de France, had abdominal pain and a high fever and was advised by doctors to avoid long-haul travel and competition, the team said in a statement.

"It's with great sadness that I have to tell you that a gastrointestinal infection is forcing me to miss the Tour de France," Carapaz wrote on Instagram. "Not the best news, but health always comes first. Thank you all for your messages and support."

Carapaz, 32, will take a few weeks off to recover before resuming his training with a focus on the Vuelta a Espana, which starts in August, his team added.

The Tour de France will begin on July 5 in Lille and conclude on the Champs-Elysees in Paris on July 27.