Ilnur Zakarin abandons Tour de France 2020 day after crash in the neutral zone 

Ilnur Zakarin has abandoned the Tour de France 2020 a day after he crashed in the neutral zone.

The CCC Team rider fell with Astana’s Alexey Lutsenko before the official start of stage 11 as the peloton rolled out of  Châtelaillon-Plage. 

Zakarin and Lutsenko hit a road sign on a roundabout early in the day, with Zakarin able to remount his bike and finish the stage albeit with some rib pain.

Medical examination after the stage revealed the Russian had suffered a broken rib. 

He was able to start stage 12 in Chauvigny, but stepped off the bike early in the stage and abandoned the race.

CCC Team doctor Daniele Zaccaria said after stage 11: “Ilnur Zakarin was involved in a crash in the neutral zone of stage 11. He was able to finish the stage but was experiencing some rib pain which required further examination.

“X-Rays performed at the finish in Poitiers will confirmed a non-displaced fracture of the sixth left rib.”

The doctor said at the time: “At this stage, Ilnur will continue racing while we adopt some conservative therapies which won’t be jeopardised by racing. We will continue to monitor Ilnur’s condition and make any further decisions accordingly.”

CCC Team then said the following day: “Unfortunately, Ilnur Zakarin has been forced to stop racing on stage 12 as a result of the injuries he sustained in the crash at the start of yesterday’s stage. 

“Join us in wishing Ilnur a speedy recovery.” 

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Zakarin, a Tour stage winner in 2016, had been active in the Pyrenees and made the breakaway on the first real mountain test of the race to Loudenvielle, where  he was leading the race into the final but eventually finished fourth due to his struggles with the descent.