"Fabian Cancellara won't take the start in stage 18 of the Tour de France. After careful deliberation between Cancellara and the team management, a decision was made to allow the Swiss rider to rest and recover in preparation for the Olympic Games," the team said in a statement after the 17th stage.
Cancellara, 35, will be one of the favourites for the Olympic time trial, which will be held on August 10.
"It was a hard Tour for me: a lot of stress and I feel tired. If I want to be good at the Olympics I need rest," the 2008 Olympic time trial champion said.
