Robbie McEwen (Katusha) wins the bunch sprint for fourth. (Image credit: Fotoreporter Sirotti)
Robbie McEwen (Itera-Katusha) will continue searching for his first Tour de France stage victory since 2007, despite suffering a deep laceration to his elbow on stage 2. McEwen was taken to hospital for treatment to the wound after rolling across the line in fourth place.
McEwen had predicted stage 2 would see a nervous peloton after the previous day’s crash-plagued finish, but nobody anticipated the carnage that took place. McEwen was caught in one of several crashes over the Col du Stockeu, which took down general classification riders like Cadel Evans and Alberto Contador, while ending the race of Christian Vande Velde who broke two ribs.
"Crashed. In hospital having my elbow treated," McEwen said on Twitter. "Very deep wound & lost quite a bit of blood. Dr says will be ok to race. Won't be comfortable."
McEwen has won 12 stages of the Tour de France throughout an extensive career, however missed last year’s race due to a serious knee injury that wiped out much of his season. He had won the event’s points classification on three occasions: 2002, 2004 and 2006.
Detracting from McEwen’s comfort on today’s stage will be seven sectors of cobbled roads, over 13 kilometres in total length, finishing just before the famed Arenberg forest.
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