New Zealand has no riders left in the Tour de France after Greg Henderson was forced to withdraw before the seventh stage.
The former Otago cyclist had been struggling with two broken ribs since crashing on the third stage, and the 38-year-old finally succumbed to his injuries overnight.
"Already after my crash on Monday I was in a lot of pain. But I didn't want to blame myself I hadn't tried and I took the start on Tuesday," Henderson said.
"I hoped I would have less pain after a few days, but the Tour still lasts more than two weeks and I can't continue this way. Even sitting at the side of my bed hurts."
Lotto Soudal team doctor Jan Mathieu supported Henderson's decision.
"It's not easy to race with an injury like Greg has. As rider and team doctor you hope there is some kind of stabilization, that makes it possible to continue the race, but unfortunately that's not the case. Last night the pain got worse and that's why we decided to call it quits. The Tour is still long, it's pointless to continue."
The only other Kiwi in the Tour, Jack Bauer, crashed out during the fifth stage.
