No Farewell Grande Boucle: Illness Denies Pello Bilbao a Final Tour de France in His Retirement Season
There will be no fairytale send-off at the Tour de France for Pello Bilbao. Bahrain Victorious have confirmed that the veteran Basque climber has been ruled out of the 2026 race by a viral infection, ending his hopes of one last appearance at the sport's biggest event before he retires at the end of the season.
Bilbao picked up the illness during the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, the same race that has proved so costly to the wider peloton in the final fortnight before Barcelona. "Pello will take a short period to fully recover before beginning preparations for his objectives later in the season," the team said, framing the setback as a delay rather than an ending to a distinguished career.
For the 36-year-old, the timing could hardly be more poignant. Having announced that 2026 would be his final season as a professional, Bilbao had earmarked the Tour as the centrepiece of a farewell year — a chance to race the roads that delivered some of the finest moments of his career, including his emotional stage win at Issoire in 2023 in the days after the death of teammate Gino Mäder.
His absence is a significant blow to Bahrain Victorious, who lose a rider who has long served as both a stage-hunting threat and a selfless road captain. In the mountains and on the punchy finishes that suit him, Bilbao offered the team a proven Plan B; without him, that experience and racing intelligence will be sorely missed over three demanding weeks.
The team will instead pin its ambitions on its two young general classification cards, Antonio Tiberi and Lenny Martinez, supported by an experienced group expected to include Matej Mohorič and Damiano Caruso. It is a line-up that leans into youth and future potential, even as it leaves the squad without one of its most reassuring elder statesmen.
Bilbao's withdrawal adds his name to a growing casualty list ahead of the Grand Départ, alongside Wout van Aert and Oscar Onley. For a rider who has given the Tour so many memorable days, missing his intended farewell is a bitter way to approach the end — but with objectives still to chase before he hangs up his wheels, Bilbao's final chapter is not yet fully written.