Tom Pidcock taken to hospital following crash at Tour de l'Avenir
British rider was in the leading group on stage six when he crashed in the final kilometre
Tom Pidcock has been taken to hospital after crashing in the final kilometre of stage six of the Tour de l'Avenir in France.
The British rider was in a leading group of 15 on a wet stage from Saint-Julien-Chapteuil to Privas in the U23 race, but crashed and injured himself in the last kilometre as Switzerland's Stefan Bissegger went on to win the stage. His injuries are yet to be confirmed.
Pidcock was in a strong position in the race in which he was targetting the overall, sitting at 1-06 in ninth place ahead of Tuesday's stage. With four tough mountain stages to come, the 20-year-old was Great Britain's best chance at an overall success. Giovanni Aleotti (Italy) now leads the general classification ahead of a rest day on Wednesday.
The British team have had a mixed race so far, with the highs of two victories from Ethan Hayter and Fred Wright on stages three and four respectively countered by Hayter abandoning after crashing and breaking his collarbone on stage four.
Pidcock's abandonment after his crash now sees just Fred Wright, Jim Brown, Robert Scott and Stuart Balfour remaining in the GB team.
Get The Leadout Newsletter
The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
Thank you for reading 20 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access
Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription
Join now for unlimited access
Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
Follow on Twitter: @richwindy
Richard is digital editor of Cycling Weekly. Joining the team in 2013, Richard became editor of the website in 2014 and coordinates site content and strategy, leading the news team in coverage of the world's biggest races and working with the tech editor to deliver comprehensive buying guides, reviews, and the latest product news.
An occasional racer, Richard spends most of his time preparing for long-distance touring rides these days, or getting out to the Surrey Hills on the weekend on his Specialized Tarmac SL6 (with an obligatory pub stop of course).