Vincenzo Nibali abandons Tour de France after fracturing vertebra in collision
The former Tour de France winner is alleged to have collided with a police motorbike.
By Matthew Treadwell
Last Updated: 20/07/18 7:04am
Former champion Vincenzo Nibali has been forced to pull out of the Tour de France after a collision, allegedly with a police motorbike, during the 12th stage to the Alpe d'Huez.
Team Bahrain rider Nibali, who claimed the yellow jersey in 2014, was taken to hospital with a suspected vertebra fracture after falling heavily on the final climb.
Team Sky rider Geraint Thomas won the stage and leads the overall classification, followed by his team-mate and four-time Tour de France winner Chris Froome.
"The clinical examinations have shown the vertebral body fracture of the tenth thoracic vertebra and therefore it's impossible to continue the competition," read a statement on Team Bahrain's official website.
"Tomorrow in the morning, Vincenzo Nibali will return to Italy where, in the next days, he will undergo a new clinical evaluation."
Nibali himself took to social media to confirm his race was over.
"Hello guys, I am returning to the hotel, unfortunately the outcome of the medical report is not good," Nibali tweeted.
"The fracture to the vertebra was confirmed and tomorrow I will return home for a period of recovery. Thank you for all your affection shown to me!"
Team Bahrain also offered Nibali's explanation of the incident that led to him calling time on his 2018 Tour challenge.
"The road became narrower and there were no barriers," Nibali is quoted as saying by Team Bahrain on their Twitter feed.
"There were two police motorbikes. When Froome accelerated, I followed him, I was feeling good. Then we slowed down and I hit the ground."
