Hand injury caused by fight forces Nacer Bouhanni out of Tour de France

Wildcard team Cofidis‘s hopes of success in the Tour de France suffered a huge blow on Wednesday morning when it was revealed that Nacer Bouhanni would miss the race with a hand injury.

The French sprinter reportedly injured his right hand when he punched a drunken hotel guest after an altercation ahead of the National Championships on Sunday.

Bouhanni was taken to hospital for treatment, but according to the team his injuries were not sufficiently treated and the 25-year-old required surgery on Tuesday.

Given that the French team was built around Bouhanni, with a strong lead-out train ready to work for the sometimes volatile rider on the flat stages, Bouhanni’s absence will cause a few headaches.

He will be replaced by Nicolas Edet – a climber, who will join the likes of Daniel Navarro and Arnold Jeannesson in targeting stage wins in the mountains.

Geoffrey Soupe is likely to take over the sprint duties but probably won’t be a threat to the big-name fast men.