Romain Bardet and James Shaw became the fourth and fifth to abandon stage 14 of the Tour de France after the French all-rounder and British Tour debutant crashed early on the stage.
TV pictures showed DSM-Firmeneich leader Bardet, then third-class Colonel de Saxel, swooping down and helping him to his feet as he was swept from the day’s opening climb. The Frenchman is said to have injured his knee and elbow.
Several teammates were waiting for Bardet but the 32-year-old was unable to continue. He was 12th overall.
EF-Education EasyPost rider Shaw was also involved in the same accident and was reportedly abandoned. The Briton was the second EF rider to pull out on stage 14 after Esteban Chaves was one of three riders forced to leave the Tour following a heavy pile-up in the opening kilometres.
Bardet had already had a very difficult tour, suffering from a bronchial infection in the second week. He finished 19th at the Grand Columbian Summit on Friday.
“I cough when it’s hard,” he said Team on stage. “Touring is tough when you’re not at 100%.”
Fifth in the Tour de Suisse, Bardet appeared to be in good pre-race form. Sixth overall last year, Bardet already has three Tour stages in his Palmar, after Sunday’s summit finish in Mont-Blanc, where he finished second in Paris in 2016 behind Chris Froome.
Shaw, meanwhile, had two breaks during the Tour, finishing fifth for Cadrets in Stage 5 and seventh for Grand Colombier in Stage 13 on Friday.
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