US cyclist Freddie Rodriguez dropped out of the Tour de France bike on Monday's Stage 15, the second stage in the Pyrenees.
The US sprinter on the Predictor-Lotto team had been nursing injuries he received in crashes on Stages 2 and 11. He was critical of Tour organizers for approving courses that had difficult turns leading into the finish lines.
The 33-year-old Emeryville, California, resident is the second American to drop out of this year's Tour. David Zabriskie of Team CSC was disqualified when he missed the Stage 11 time cut. He'd been suffering from a sore knee.
US cyclists remaining in the Tour and their overall rankings are:
4. Levi Leipheimer, Discovery Channel — 5:25 behind
17. Chris Horner, Predictor – Lotto — 18:57
31. George Hincapie, Discovery Channel — 40:17
34. Christian Vande Velde, Team CSC — 46:02
Rodriguez was in the race to support the squad's sprinter, Robbie McEwen. When McEwen dropped out, Rodriguez was free to go for sprint wins on his own. He is a three-time US national champion in the US Pro Cycling Championships.
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