Team Sky pulls out of Vuelta

Team Sky on Saturday pulled out of the Tour of Spain following the death of masseur Txema Gonzalez.

Gonzalez, 43, died in hospital in the southern Spanish city of Seville on Friday, five days after he was taken to hospital suffering from a bacterial infection.

"Txema contracted a bacterial infection which entered the bloodstream and developed into sepsis," Team Sky's medical head Steve Peters said.

"The toxins from this had damaged the organs in his body and he went into septic shock and unfortunately succumbed to that."

Team principal Dave Brailsford added: "Txema's death is devastating to everyone in Team Sky. We've lost a good friend, a much respected and valued colleague.

"We have considered all the elements very carefully and this is the only decision we could take. It's the right one; to show respect to Txema and to look after our team.

"We discussed it with Txema's family and they fully support our decision. They have asked us to the funeral next week and we will of course be there to support them and to pay our respects.

"Others - staff and riders - have been ill during this Tour and Juan Antonio Flecha pulled out on Friday. The medical conditions are different but we need to take care of our team.

"The organisers of the Vuelta and the UCI have both been informed of our decision and we are deeply grateful for their cooperation and understanding."

Peters added that the infection that struck Gonzalez down was not the same that has forced the withdrawal of three Team Sky riders - Flecha, South Africa's John Lee Augustyn and Britain's Ben Swift on Monday.

"This bacterial infection has nothing to do with the viral infection which many of the team have suffered with in Spain, causing stomach upset," Peters said.

Riders will observe a minute's silence before the start of Saturday's eighth stage.