Australian sprinter Caleb Ewan dropped out of the Tour de France during stage 13 between Châtillon-sur-Chalaronne and Le Grand Colombier on Friday.

Distanced more than a quarter of an hour from the leading men with his teammate Frederik Frison, the five-time stage winner ended up throwing in the towel about twenty kilometers from the finish, placed at the top of the Grand Colombier.

The “Pocket Rocket”, after first convincing sprints at the start of the Big Loop in Bayonne (3rd) then Nogaro (2nd), was no longer able to get involved in the fight with Jasper Philipsen afterwards.

This is the Australian’s fourth major round without a win since his double in the Giro 2021.

“He was not there at all,” Lotto-Dstny manager Kurt Van de Wouwer pinned him on Thursday. The legs just weren’t there, no excuses. »

There are up to three sprint opportunities left between now and the final finish in Paris.