Einstein Racing announced this morning Nate St. Onge will not take the start for Stage Three. 

In a controversial move, Jason Lowetz called a hasty press conference Thursday morning to reveal that second placed rider and the team’s great hope for the Vuelta win, Nate St. Onge, will not finish the race. Amidst the clamor of a dozen or so journalists and a number of competitors, Lowetz broke the news visibly upset, barely able to contain his emotions. 

“Nate has done some wonderful things here at la Vuelta, wearing the red jersey and representing the team at the front of the race. He hasn’t done anything wrong, I want to stress that to the media and especially the fans. There is no positive test to deal with. He’s just got a lot of stuff going on,” Lowetz stressed. 

“It’s true, I have a lot of stuff to do tonight, so, like, I have to get home. I gotta walk the dogs and stuff. Feed the horse. Just can’t make it tonight,” St. Onge later acknowledged. 

This marks the end of Einstein Racing’s overall ambitions, though they should be in the hunt for a stage win with Ryan Kennedy. It’s a real shame to see another example of normal, every day responsibilities effect an imaginary, free, sub-amateur bike ride.