Tour de France 2021 - Caleb Ewan out of race with collarbone injury after crash with Peter Sagan and Tim Merlier
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Published 28/06/2021 at 20:18 GMT
Lotto Soudal sprinter Caleb Ewan is out of the Tour de France after suffering a collarbone injury on the finish of Stage 3. Ewan and Peter Sagan (Bora-Hansgrohe) both fell off their bikes after touching wheels with stage winner Tim Merlier (Alpecin-Fenix). GC contenders Geraint Thomas (Ineos Grenadiers) and Primoz Roglic (Jumbo-Visma) also crashed.
Caleb Ewan crashed on the final sprint to the line
Image credit: Getty Images
Caleb Ewan has abandoned the Tour de France after crashing on the finale of an incident-packed Stage 3.
The Lotto Soudal sprinter, who was hoping to win stages at all three Grand Tours this year, fell along with Peter Sagan (Bora-Hansgrohe) after touching wheels with stage winner Tim Merlier (Alpecin-Fenix) inside the final 150 metres.
Ewan was taken to hospital and his team have confirmed that he suffered a right broken collarbone and is out of the race.
“Following his crash, Caleb is forced to leave the race due to a right collarbone fracture,” Lotto Soudal said on Twitter.
GC contenders Primoz Roglic and Geraint Thomas were among the other riders to crash in a day described as one of the "most chaotic" ever seen at the race.
Ewan is set to undergo an operation on Wednesday and is hopeful he will be back in time for La Vuelta, which starts on August 14.
“I don’t remember too much, it all happened quite quickly,” he told the Lotto Soudal website.
“I remember I wanted to go quite early in the chicane but we were sprinting on the left and I started and saw the guys at the front were closing on the right so I had to stop sprinting and hope for it to open up again.
“When all that happened I came next to Peter and we were quite close together on the wheel and when Merlier went to the right I touched the wheel and went down.
“Usually when you crash you don’t feel so much at first as the adrenaline is there but straightaway I felt a lot of pain and they were pressing on my collarbone and I could feel it clicking so I thought it’s not good.
“They said it’s broken in four spots and I need surgery on it to put it back into place.
“This is part of cycling unfortunately and I have to let it heal and when I can train again I will start training and speak to the team and look to the future and see what races are going to suit me the best. It’s six or seven weeks until the Vuelta so that should be plenty of time to let it rest and heal and train. Hopefully that can still be a goal of mine this year.”
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