Advertisement

Crash pushes Cancellara out of Tour de France

The Local
The Local - [email protected]
Crash pushes Cancellara out of Tour de France
Fabian Cancellera (in yellow) riding in third stage. Photo: Jeff Pachoud/AFP

Swiss cycling star Fabian Cancellara is abandoning this year’s Tour de France after being injured in a spectacular crash involving more than 30 riders during the third stage of the race — when he was wearing the yellow jersey as overall leader.

Advertisement

More than 30 riders were injured in the pileup, which occurred 52 kilometres from the finish line on the stage in Belgium.

It occurred when FDJ rider William Bonnet went down and others just careered into the back of him while travelling at an average speed of 42.03 kilometres an hour, according to Tour de France organizers.

Cancellera, 35, was among several riders injured in the accident, which forced organizers to temporarily stop the race as doctors attended to the wounded.

The Bern native, who has won eight stages of the Tour de France in his career, got back on his bike but finished well back of the leaders and afterwards sought treatment for bone fractures.

“Just left the hospital with a huge disappointment,” Cancellera tweeted.

This year’s Tour de France “is over broke some bones on my back again as in spring”, he said referring to back injuries he suffered at the E3 Harelbeke race in Belgium in March.

For Cancellera, who was won the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix races three times, the fall was a tough blow, as it was for the other competitors thrown off course by the spectacular collision.

UK rider Chris Froome, winner of the 2013 Tour de France, took over the yellow jersey.

Check out the accident in the video below from Le Tour de France: 


La minute maillot jaune LCL - Étape 3 (Anvers... par tourdefrance

More

Join the conversation in our comments section below. Share your own views and experience and if you have a question or suggestion for our journalists then email us at [email protected].
Please keep comments civil, constructive and on topic – and make sure to read our terms of use before getting involved.

Please log in to leave a comment.

See Also