John Degenkolb's Tour de France was over before it even started when the German was forced to retire after failing to cut time in the first stage.

Degenkolb was involved in a crash on the grueling opening stage in Nice. Heavy rain and slippery road conditions led to a series of crashes and at one point he was forced into neutral, but even at a slower pace Degenkolb was unable to return to the peloton.

Degenkolb, who crashed with Ewan, suffered many injuries, and the Australian rider was able to come back and finish 19th, but Degenkolb had no such joy, finishing wet, alone, and over the time limit. He finished just under 18 minutes behind stage winner Alexander Kristoff and about 3 minutes over the time limit.

"Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose," he wrote on Instagram after being examined for cuts on his right side knee and elbow. The German is currently undergoing tests.

"Today I lost everything ...... Everything I worked and trained for this special 2020. If my knee had been open, I could have finished the stage over 18 minutes late. ......

Cycling News heard from Lot Soudal that they tried to appeal the race jury's decision but were denied.