Monica Trinca Colonel will not start Stage 6 of the Tour de France Femmes after developing an infection overnight.
Liv AlUla Jayco confirmed on Thursday morning that the decision had been made by the team’s medical staff, allowing the Italian time to recover rather than continuing into the increasingly difficult second half of the race.
“Monica Trinca Colonel will not take the start of Stage 6 of the Tour de France Femmes,” the team said.
“She developed an infection overnight and it was decided by the team’s medical staff that she should leave the race to take time to recover.”
No further details have been released about the nature or severity of the infection.
Trinca Colonel leaves before the mountain stages
Trinca Colonel had completed each of the opening five stages and sat 54th overall after Wednesday’s demanding route through the Beaujolais.
The 27-year-old had been selected as one of Liv AlUla Jayco’s principal general classification options but will now miss Thursday’s hilly stage from Montbrison to Tournon-sur-Rhône and Friday’s queen stage finishing on Mont Ventoux.
Her withdrawal leaves the team with one fewer climber before the race reaches its most demanding terrain. Liv AlUla Jayco will instead need to concentrate more heavily on stage opportunities and protecting the remaining riders through the mountains.
The team’s wider strengths and 2026 roster are covered in our Liv AlUla Jayco Women’s WorldTour team guide.
A second consecutive Tour ended prematurely
Trinca Colonel also failed to finish the 2025 Tour de France Femmes after abandoning following a crash on Stage 5.
Her 2026 departure is unrelated, with Liv AlUla Jayco confirming that an infection developed overnight rather than identifying a crash or existing injury.
The Italian arrived at this year’s Tour as a more established stage racer after making a significant step forward during the previous two seasons. She finished second overall at the 2026 UAE Tour and had increasingly become one of Liv AlUla Jayco’s most important climbing leaders.
That progress was reflected when Trinca Colonel extended her contract with the team through 2027.
Liv AlUla Jayco prioritise her recovery
Continuing while suffering from an infection would have carried little benefit with six categorised climbs on Stage 6 from Montbrison to Tournon-sur-Rhône followed immediately by the summit finish on Mont Ventoux.
The team’s medical staff have instead withdrawn her before the start, giving her time to recover away from the demands of the race.
Trinca Colonel becomes the second confirmed non-starter ahead of Stage 6 after Barbara Malcotti was also withdrawn on Thursday morning.
The latest departures and confirmed reasons are being tracked in our Tour de France Femmes 2026 abandons and crash updates.
