German rider Tony Martin exited the Tour de France by ambulance early on stage 11 on Wednesday after suffering face and leg injuries when tumbling into a deep roadside ditch, having been at the centre of a crash-marred opening day that saw a fan knock half the peloton down.
Martin was the rider who collided with a roadside fan brandishing a sign last week that caused a spectacular mass pile-up on stage one from the Atlantic port city of Brest.
Wednesday's stage saw the Jumbo rider fall into a ditch just outside the Provence town of Sorgues, shortly after the departure for a double ascent of the Tour's most famous climb, the Mont Ventoux.
Martin was also hurt on stage 1 and was vocal in calls for the hapless roadside fan that day to be severely punished, not for causing the crash, but for failing to stick around and help.
