Bryan Coquard, a Cofidis sprinter, confirmed that his participation in the Tour de France has ended after a challenging time trial. He completed stage 12 with a broken right ring finger and finished stage 13 in 152nd place. Despite the injury, he attempted the time trial with a bandaged hand. Coquard plans to undergo surgery soon and noted that continuing would pose risks. He appreciated the support he received and expressed hope for a future return to the Tour.
"We tried to immobilise it as much as possible so that it would work for today. It's a climb, so there's not too much risk. It will certainly be my last stand. I will certainly not be able to take the start tomorrow."
"I wanted to do this time trial no matter what. The specialist we consulted this morning told us that there was a risk of displacement. Ideally, you should have an operation within ten days."
"Continuing the Tour would have meant a lot of suffering and an additional risk for the hand. It would have been a risk for me and for the peloton, too. It's time for me to withdraw. But I'm already starting to think about my return."
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