“After consultation with the team and doctors in Andorra," the rider said in a team statement. "We have come to the decision it is best for me to travel home to Andorra in order to support my wife with the imminent arrival of our twin girls.
"This Vuelta has been a great experience to race in as a teammate to this strong and young team, and to be able to offer my full support to Fabio. Although the race didn’t produce the results that I expected, I really enjoyed acting as a road captain to this young group.
"But the time has now come, slightly earlier than we anticipated, to head home and to support my wife in this incredibly exciting period of our lives.
The Irishman tweeted further:
