Sunday 6 July 2014 08:14, UK
Mark Cavendish’s future in this year’s Tour de France hangs in the balance after it was confirmed he dislocated his right collarbone in his crash at the end of stage one.
The 29-year-old Briton fell 250m from the finish line in Harrogate following a collision with Australian rider Simon Gerrans and was left slumped on the ground in agony for several minutes.
He was subsequently taken to hospital and although tests showed he avoided a fracture, his Omega Pharma - Quick-Step team revealed he had dislocated the joint connecting his collarbone and shoulder blade.
A decision will be made on whether he continues racing at the Tour on Sunday morning ahead of stage two.
In a team statement, Cavendish said: "I'm gutted about the crash today. It was my fault. I will personally apologise to Simon Gerrans as soon as I get the chance.
"In reality, I tried to find a gap that wasn't really there. I wanted to win today, I felt really strong and was in a great position to contest the sprint thanks to the unbelievable efforts of my team. Sorry to all the fans that came out to support. It was truly incredible.”
Omega Pharma - Quick-Step's statement continued: "Mark Cavendish underwent further examination on his right shoulder after today's crash. The imaging underlined ligament ruptures, with an AC-joint dislocation, which causes him a lot of pain. A final decision on his participation in tomorrow's stage will be taken tomorrow morning."
