Tour de France news 2019: Alessandro De Marchi quits after Stage 9 crash

The Italian lay stricken on the tarmac before being taken to hospital in an ambulance.

De Marchi had already suffered a lucky escape in Stage 8 when he took a wrong turn and almost crashed into a barrier.

“We can confirm that Alessandro De Marchi was fully conscious after his crash. He has a deep facial laceration and will be taken to hospital for X-rays to determine if he has any fractures,” CCC said in a statement.

De Marchi, 33, crashed after eight kilometres in the 170.5-km ride from St Etienne.

The three-time Vuelta a Espana stage winner was attended to by the race’s medical staff before being taken to a hospital in an ambulance.

The 33-year-old Italian was fell just 10km into the stage, and UCI WorldTeam CCC Team will now be forced to compete with the Tour without the experienced rider.