The Colombian team at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games received disappointing news on Thursday: Daniel Martínez of Red Bull – BORA – hansgrohe will not be able to participate in the time trial scheduled for Saturday. Martínez has had an impressive 2024 season, finishing second at the Giro d’Italia behind Tadej Pogačar. The national time trial champion also secured second place overall at the Volta ao Algarve and won a stage there. As a strong time trialist, he was expected to perform well in Paris.
According to a report by Colombian outlet, Antena 2, the 28-year-old rider’s absence is due to documentation issues that prevented him from traveling. The report indicated that Martínez was unable to travel because he did not have his passport and faced a “diplomatic difficulty.”
Passport still in Canada
“Credible sources have reported that after the Olympics, Daniel Martínez has commitments in Canada with his team. As a result, the cyclist submitted his passport to the Canadian embassy to meet visa requirements, and he does not yet have the document in his possession,” the report added.
The commitments mentioned in the article include the Grand Prix Cyclistes de Montréal and Quebec in September. Due to the processing delay, the Colombian cyclist may not arrive in Paris in time for the time trial on Saturday. According to the source, it is hoped that Daniel Felipe Martínez will be able to get his passport and be able to participate in the road race on August 3.
The time trial is the first cycling event at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. There are two Canadians racing in it, Rouyn-Noranda’s Olivia Baril and Ottawa’s Derek Gee. Gee is fresh off of a superb 9th place overall at the Tour de France, including a stunning sixth in the final time trial in Nice. Baril has also had a strong 2024, with wins at the Women Cycling Pro Costa De Almería, a stage of the Vuelta Extremadura Féminas, as well as the national road race championships.
Racing begins at 8:30 a.m. EDT. Canadian Cycling Magazine will provide reports and analysis from the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. Make sure to visit our special Olympic section on the website for more details.
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