Jasper Philipsen has withdrawn from the Tour de France after suffering a heavy fall on stage three.
The Belgian, who rides for Alpecin-Deceuninck, laid early claim to the green jersey after winning the first stage of the race and maintaining his lead after the second.
But his Tour ended abruptly on stage three. He was caught the wrong side of Bryan Coquard, who collided with the Belgian after bumping shoulders with Laurenz Rex, sending the Alpecin-Deceuninck rider tumbling.
He landed hard on his right shoulder and was later seen with his arm in a sling as the race doctor attended. The full extent of the injury is not yet clear.
It is a frustrating blow for Philipsen, who had been tipped as a favourite in a stacked field of sprinters.
Philipsen was made to wait until stage 10 for his first win at last year’s Tour, but shot to an early lead on day one to claim the yellow jersey.
"I’m going to be really proud to wear [the yellow jersey],” he said afterwards. “[I will wear it] with a lot of joy at least for one day and enjoy this with the team.
"It was definitely a team effort, a team job, and I'm proud of how we rode; everyone is in great shape. It gives us a lot of motivation for the coming days."
While Philipsen’s accident appeared to be just that, an accident, Coquard and Rex could be penalised for their involvement following the introduction of ‘yellow cards’ to the Tour.
These are issued as penalties for any action deemed ‘unsafe’ by cycling’s regulating body, the Union Cycliste Internationale.
They carry sporting sanctions, and any rider shown two yellow cards within a 30-day period will face disqualification and a seven-day suspension.
