CAGNES-SUR-MER, France (AP) — A decision by race organizers to force out injured American rider Ted King for being too slow in the team time trial is causing a stir at the Tour de France.
King’s Cannondale team said he missed the cut Tuesday by only 7 seconds. Cannondale said its managers appealed without success to the race jury to allow him to continue.
Bandaged up and riding through pain from a crash Saturday, King couldn’t keep up with his team in the time trial. King, on his Twitter page, said he didn’t believe he had missed the cut but the team, on its page, confirmed “with regret” that King was out.
The team said King was in too much pain to ride his time trial bike, forcing him to instead ride a slower road bike.
