Colombian cyclist Daniel Martínez will not be participating in this weekend’s opening event of the Paris Olympic Games. According to Antena 2, Martínez encountered issues with his passport, preventing him from competing in the men’s individual time trial scheduled for Saturday, 27th July.
Martínez, who is the reigning Colombian time trial champion and finished as the overall runner-up to Tadej Pogačar at the Giro d’Italia, faced complications when trying to leave Colombia for Paris. Reports indicate that he needed to present his passport to the Canadian Embassy to secure a visa for the upcoming GP de Québec and GP de Montréal. Unfortunately, he could not retrieve his passport in time to make the journey to Paris.
This marks the second time Martínez has missed an Olympic event. He had to withdraw from the Tokyo Olympics after contracting COVID-19. However, there’s still hope for the 28-year-old. He remains listed on the team roster for the Olympic men’s road race on 3rd August.
In addition to his Olympic hopes, Martínez is set to take part in the Vuelta a España. The race begins on 17th August in Lisbon, and he has received a late call-up from Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe.
