Injured Cavendish out of Tour as rival Sagan disqualified

Cavendish suffered multiple injuries, including a broken shoulder, in the incident after Sagan nudged Cavendish into the barriers just 120 metres from the line as they sprinted into Vittel, sending the Manxman to hospital for tests on his right shoulder and hand.

The Team Dimension Data rider had not sounded optimistic immediately after the 207.5km stage from Mondorf-les-Bains ended, but initial X-rays found no broken bones, leaving open the possibility he could have started in Vittel this morning.

But late last night it was announced the sprint specialist would not be taking his place on the start line as his injuries were too severe for him to continue.

Speaking before his decision to withdraw, Cavendish had said: “I’m okay. I’m in a little bit of pain and I’ll go for a few more tests now. But we’ll see – I’ve done the shoulder before so I know how that feels but I’m okay. Got a couple of stitches in my finger.”

Asked about his chances of continuing in the race, he said: “If it doesn’t show anything I’ll try. But in terms of pain, I’ve done my shoulder twice before and I’m in more pain now than I was for one of my shoulders, so that doesn’t make me too optimistic just on feeling.

“Ultimately I don’t also want to be a risk to the other riders as well. If I can’t pull on my bars, if I can’t brake with this finger – I don’t want to be a hazard to the other guys.”

Sagan was initially docked 30 seconds for his role in the crash, but the race jury looked at the incident again before announcing the Slovakian’s participation –and his bid to win a record-equalling sixth straight green jersey – is over.

Cavendish was unimpressed with Sagan’s behaviour.

“I was just following Demare, and Sagan came over,” he said. “I get on with Peter well, but I don’t get the elbow – I’m not a fan of him putting his elbow in me like that. A crash is a crash, I’d just like to know about the elbow, really.”

Bora-Hansgrohe rider Sagan visited the Dimension Data bus after the finish to check on Cavendish and apologise.

“Mark was coming pretty fast from the back,” said Sagan, winner of stage three 24 hours earlier. “I tried but didn’t have time to react to go left. He came to me and I had to defend.”

Asked if he had apologised for the crash, he added: “For sure, because it’s not nice to crash like that.”

The incident happened moments after another crash had sent Team Sky’s Geraint Thomas to the deck in the race leaders’ yellow jersey.

Thomas was fine to continue, losing no time as the incidents occurred inside the final three kilometres, while Chris Froome managed to skirt around it.

“I’m all right,” Thomas said. “It was just a crash in front of me and I had nowhere to go.

“Luckily I took off most of the speed. I think Froomey managed to get round it and he’s okay.”

Thomas continues to lead from Froome by 12 seconds, with Michael Matthews of Team Sunweb on the same time in third place overall going into Wednesday’s stage to La Planche des Belles Filles, where the fight for yellow is expected to ignite.

Arnaud Demare of FDJ won the stage for his first career Tour victory, but all eyes were on the carnage behind him.

Once Cavendish fell, he took down others as Trek-Segafredo’s John Degenkolb had to take evasive action to avoid riding straight over him, and the German then fell into Ben Swift of UAE Team Emirates.

“You’re just sprinting following the wheel and then all of sudden Degenkolb flicked to try and miss Cavendish who was on the floor, and we both had nowhere to go. I just went flying, me and Degenkolb,” Swift said.

“I must have gone 10ft in the air...I hurt my knee a little bit and my shoulder, but we’ll see.”

The 27-year-old Sagan, one of cycling’s most marketable characters, has won the points leaders’ green jersey every year he has participated in the Tour, starting in 2012.

His exit will now set up a fascinating battle amongst the sprinters to succeed him. It remains to be seen if Cavendish will be part of it.

ends