Pauline Ferrand-Prévot, the defending Tour de France Femmes champion, will not start Saturday's eighth stage after feeling unwell on the morning of the race.
Team Visma-Lease a Bike Women said the decision was made following consultation with the squad's medical staff. The French rider had arrived at this year's race as a pre-race favourite after her victory in Nice last year but struggled on Thursday's seventh stage to Mont Ventoux, where she finished more than ten minutes behind the leading contenders.
She sat 14th in the general classification entering the day, well adrift of race leader Kasia Niewiadoma. Saturday's stage runs from Sisteron to Nice.