Kiwi rider George Bennett pulls out of Tour de France

Kiwi rider George Bennett. Photo / AP

Kiwi rider George Bennett has withdrawn from the Tour de France during the 16th stage due to illness.

The Team Lotto NL - Jumbo rider was sitting 12th before today's stage and says it was the worst feeling to pull out. But a high fever the previous day had left him with little energy to complete the 165 km stage from Le Puy-en-Velay to Romans-sur-Isère.

"I don't think my vocabulary extensive enough to describe it really. I'm absolutely devastated," he told Radio Sport's Daniel McHardy on the Radio Sport Breakfast.

"The writing was almost on the wall yesterday. I was hoping for a miracle, hoping I could just get through today and then take it from there and try and pull something out in the Alps.

"If you saw me last night you'd be surprised I'm even here today. It's just the biggest shame in the world. Not a worse feeling for a cyclist to be honest, leaving any bike race - but leaving the Tour is just the worst."

Devastating to leave the tour. One of the worst feelings as bike racer, thanks again for all support the last weeks, see you at the next one

— George Bennett? (@georgenbennett) July 18, 2017

Bennett said the he started feeling tired during stage 14 into Rodez and then got worse the next day during stage 15.

"I had a bit of a fever but nothing serious at all. I really suffered that day but made the group with the 10 best guys in the race so I wasn't panicking or anything.

"Then on the rest day after lunch it just hit me. Spent the day in bed and then I couldn't move and then serious fever. I couldn't eat or drink. They made my dinner in a blender and I tried to get as much food in as I could. I woke up this morning and the fever had gone away.

"We started the first climb and we hoped a few guys would roll off easy and I could survive but it didn't work out like that. It turned into an absolute battle and I was on the wrong end of it," Bennett told Radio Sport.

"When you're struggling to ride straight and your head is breaking out in cold sweats and you can't hold the wheel of the biggest sprinter in the race and you're going up a hill and you're meant to be one of the best climbers and he's dropping you - it's time to pull the plug."

Aussie Michael Matthews won the stage, his second victory of the 2017 Tour de France. British rider Chris Froome retained the yellow jersey.

Patrick Bevin is now the top Kiwi in the Tour in 104th place.

Bennett told Radio Sport that there would have been a good chance to climb back into ther top 10 today had he been well which is hard to accept but there are positives to take away from his performance this year.

"Not even arriving into Paris it's hard to take any positives away from it but if you really wanted to dig deep, being there with those best guys in those hardest stages - that's good. Good stead for the future but I'm still empty handed.

"The good thing about Tour de France is that it happens every year and there is other chances for it."