PARIS — Still recovering from the effects of a long virus, German sprinter Marcel Kittel won’t be riding the Tour de France.
Kittel was not included in the nine-man Team Giant-Alpecin roster for the three-week race unveiled Thursday. The team will be led by another German sprinter, John Degenkolb, who achieved a rare double this season by winning both Paris-Roubaix and Milan-San Remo.
Kittel, who won eight Tour stages over the past two years, said "not being nominated is without doubt the most difficult time of my career."
Kittel has been hampered throughout the season by a virus he caught after the Tour Down Under in January.