Alberto Contador crashes on stage one of the Tour de France (video)
Heavy crash for Tour de France contender Alberto Contador leaves him with shoulder injury and ripped kit, but he carries on
La chute d'@albertocontador / The fall of @albertocontador ! #TDF2016 pic.twitter.com/P9A6OxkZ6w
— Le Tour de France (@LeTour) July 2, 2016
Alberto Contador's Tour de France did not start well on Saturday, as the Spanish contender of Team tinkoff was caught up in a crash with 75km to go on stage one.
Contador came down hard with Sky's Luke Rowe and BMC's Brent Bookwalter on a central reservation after a roundabout as the pace of the peloton had been wound up to chase a five-man escape group.
The 2007 and 2009 Tour winner picked himself quickly after the incident, but had lost a lot of skin on his right shoulder, clearly visible under ripped kit.
After changing his bike, Contador was joined by several of his Tinkoff team-mates and others caught up in the crash to chase back onto the peloton.
>>> Tour de France 2016: Latest news, reports and info
Get The Leadout Newsletter
The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
The bunch slowed up, and Contador soon caught back up – but only time will tell whether the injury will have any further effect on the 33-year-old's Tour. He received attention from the race doctor in the medical car and later changed a damaged shoe.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GLwZoTGhDyk
Geraint Thomas (Sky) was another rider who chased back on with Contador's group after the Welshman had suffered a rear puncture, necessitating a wheel change from neutral service.
The stage was won by Mark Cavendish, claiming the first Tour de France yellow jersey of his illustrious career.
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
Nigel Wynn worked as associate editor on CyclingWeekly.com, he worked almost single-handedly on the Cycling Weekly website in its early days. His passion for cycling, his writing and his creativity, as well as his hard work and dedication, were the original driving force behind the website’s success. Without him, CyclingWeekly.com would certainly not exist on the size and scale that it enjoys today. Nigel sadly passed away, following a brave battle with a cancer-related illness, in 2018. He was a highly valued colleague, and more importantly, an exceptional person to work with - his presence is sorely missed.
-
Canyon Grail CF SL 7 AXS review: a gravel bike of two halves?
The integrated cockpit and aero tubing are somewhat at odds with the Grail's taller stack height
By Rachel Sokal Published
-
Katy Marchant breaks arm in horror crash into crowd at Track Champions League
Event's final round cancelled and spectators told to leave following incident
By Tom Davidson Last updated
-
Extra security meant Bern's hosting of Tour de France cost £500,000 more than expected
Tour de France cost Swiss capital of Bern more that it thought it would
By Jack Elton-Walters Published
-
Vincenzo Nibali slams critics of his Tour de France performance
Vincenzo Nibali says he's 'not a robot' and can't be expected to compete with those specifically targeting the Tour overall
By Gregor Brown Published
-
Tony Martin reveals why he had to abandon Tour de France on Champs Élysées
Tony Martin made it all the way to final circuits in Paris on stage 21 before being forced to pull out of Tour de France
By Richard Windsor Published
-
This is what it took to fuel Chris Froome and Team Sky through the Tour de France
Team Sky and Chris Froome ate a combined total of 1,000 energy gels and more than 500 bars during their 2016 Tour de France success.
By Richard Windsor Published
-
Chris Froome wins 2016 Tour de France as André Greipel takes final stage
Chris Froome takes his third Tour de France victory in Paris on Sunday as André Greipel takes the final sprint showdown on the Champs Élysées
By Nigel Wynn Published
-
The moments that won Chris Froome the 2016 Tour de France
We look back at the key points from the 2016 Tour de France that won it for Chris Froome
By Stephen Puddicombe Published
-
Rival teams praise 'super' Sky at the Tour de France
Chris Froome did not win the Tour de France on his own, but was backed by eight Sky team-mates to make an unbeatable combination that is the envy of rivals
By Gregor Brown Published
-
Chris Froome and Peter Sagan's special bikes for Tour de France final stage
A yellow Pinarello and a green Specialized for Chris Froome and Peter Sagan to mark their classification wins in the 2016 Tour de France
By Nigel Wynn Published