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Chris Froome to have x-ray after crashing during Tour de France Chris Froome to have x-ray after crashing during Tour de France
(35 minutes later)
Chris Froome is to go to hospital for a precautionary x-ray after crashing during the stage four of the Tour de France on Tuesday, sustaining bruises on his left hip, shoulder, knee and elbow and jarring his wrist.Chris Froome is to go to hospital for a precautionary x-ray after crashing during the stage four of the Tour de France on Tuesday, sustaining bruises on his left hip, shoulder, knee and elbow and jarring his wrist.
The British defending champion fell five kilometres into the 163.5km ride from Le Touquet to Lille though he quickly got back on his bike. Sir Dave Brailsford, his team manager at Sky, said: “Chris is all right. He felt fine in the final bit, good physically but we are going to send him for a precautionary x-ray to check his wrist. He landed on his hand and wrist. We’ll update everybody on the website later on.”
Froome, who is fifth overall, two seconds behind the Italian Vincenzo Nibali, crashed on the same side during last month’s Critérium du Dauphiné. Asked whether he was concerned he replied: “We’ll just manage tonight and take tomorrow when we get to tomorrow. Obviously we’d had preferred it if Chris hadn’t crashed but he felt fine in the final bit. His spirit is fine, that’s racing isn’t it, and we all know it’s part and parcel of the rough and tumble of pro bike racing.”
The peloton paused while Froome was treated from the team doctor’s car, TV pictures showing severe grazing to his hip. Of more concern to the Team Sky leader, perhaps, was an apparent problem with his left wrist which was jarred during the accident. Froome could be seen repeatedly flexing his left hand as he rejoined the main group. The British defending champion had fallen five kilometres into the 163.5km ride from Le Touquet to Lille though he quickly got back on his bike.
The Team Sky sports director Nicolas Portal handed over a wrist splint to Vasil Kiryienka for the Belarussian carry to Froome, saying: “We’re taking as many precautions as we can.” Froome, who began the day fifth overall, two seconds behind the Italian Vincenzo Nibali, crashed on the same side during last month’s Critérium du Dauphiné. At the end of Stage Four he dropped back to seventh in the overall rankings, behind Alberto Contador (Tinkoff-Saxo) and Alejandro Valverde (Movistar) as the sprinter Marcel Kittel claimed a hat-trick of Tour wins.
Froome’s team-mate Bernhard Eisel told ITV4: “He has a cast on his hand, but he feels OK and hopefully we just lost some skin. We didn’t lose time today. Let’s hope for the best.”
The peloton paused while Froome was treated from the team doctor’s car, TV pictures showing severe grazing to his hip. Of more concern was the apparent problem with his left wrist which was jarred during the accident. Froome could be seen repeatedly flexing his left hand as he rejoined the main group.
“Somebody made a mistake,” Eisel said. “This wave went through the whole bunch, from position 10 to the last position in the bunch.
“It’s just a big wave and Froomey was like the third rider and with the wave he had no chance. He just went down.
“Even when I stopped and waited for Froomey, he was back on his bike and you saw the last rider crashing near the end of the peloton.”
The Team Sky sports director Nicolas Portal handed over a wrist splint to Vasil Kiryienka for the Belarussian carry to Froome, saying at the time: “We’re taking as many precautions as we can.”
He added: “We were scared out of our wits, like everyone else, but after talking with him, everything seems OK.He added: “We were scared out of our wits, like everyone else, but after talking with him, everything seems OK.
“He hit the tarmac hard, but everything’s all right. We gave him a splint and, of course, we’re taking things extra carefully now. I’m not superstitious, but this is one fall we could’ve done without.”“He hit the tarmac hard, but everything’s all right. We gave him a splint and, of course, we’re taking things extra carefully now. I’m not superstitious, but this is one fall we could’ve done without.”
The race doctor who treated him said Froome had suffered cuts and abrasions, and that his wrist and elbow were also affected.The race doctor who treated him said Froome had suffered cuts and abrasions, and that his wrist and elbow were also affected.
“He’s got bruises on his left side. He must be hurting a little,” said Florence Pommerie. “His wrist is also hurting.”“He’s got bruises on his left side. He must be hurting a little,” said Florence Pommerie. “His wrist is also hurting.”
Froome could be faced with more problems on Wednesday in the Ypres-Arenberg Porte du Hainaut section, when he will have to navigate nine of the cobbled sections that figure in the notorious Paris to Roubaix race. Crashes and punctures are common on the cobbles and the surface will exacerbate any injury problems, particularly anything affecting his wrist. With rain forecast all day the stage is likely to be treacherous. Froome could be faced with more problems on Wednesday in the Ypres-Arenberg Porte du Hainaut section, when he will have to navigate nine of the cobbled sections that figure in the notorious Paris to Roubaix race. Crashes and punctures are common on the cobbles and the surface will exacerbate any injury problems, particularly anything affecting his wrist. With rain forecast all day the stage is likely to be extra treacherous.