Jay Vine had high hopes for the queen stage of the Tour of Turkey, which featured the monstrous climb of Babadag as the final ascent. However, he encountered stomach problems on the final climb, which has been a recurring issue for him this season.
“Everything was going according to plan. My teammates kept me out of trouble, and I felt good,” Vine began his Instagram post.
“I was even with the leaders until suddenly my stomach managed to liquefy everything. I started feeling unwell, and all I could do was crawl up the mountain and try to get to the team bus as quickly as possible.” Vine finished 25th, more than twelve minutes behind the stage winner Alexey Lutsenko.
Vine reveals embarrassment about what happened
Vine had to descend using a cable car, but it wasn’t a pleasant experience. “I can say that the cable car ride wasn’t enjoyable. I won’t hide it anymore: I’m ashamed, angry, and just furious. If I knew this would happen, I would have raced to one of my teammates. Now, we have to wait and see if I can eat properly, but something is clearly wrong.”
The 2023 cycling season has been one to forget quickly for Vine, and the Australian doesn’t hide his disappointment. “I’m really tired of it. When is it socially acceptable to go around with a rabbit’s foot, a four-leaf clover, and a horseshoe? Sorry, folks, but this season is just cursed.”