Mark Cavendish has abandoned the Tour de France after breaking his collarbone in a crash amid the peloton with 60km remaining on stage 8.
Cavendish crashed with a small number of other riders including Pello Bilbao, and was visibly the most severely hurt by the crash. Live broadcast images showed Cavendish ominously rubbing his collarbone before he was assessed by the race doctor.
Shortly afterwards, he was taken to an ambulance and his abandonment was confirmed, though the extent of his injuries was not initially known.
"Mark Cavendish broke his right collarbone," Astana Qazaqstan confirmed in a statement later on Saturday evening. "Moreover because of the fracture an osteosynthesis screw in the acromioclavicular joint (being there since his crash in the 2017 Tour de France) is loose."
Stage 8 was always likely to be a race for the punchers given the hilly terrain in the latter half, and so Cavendish was riding defensively in the peloton. However, the crash seemed to be caused by a clash of wheels within the peloton which took down a handful of riders just outside 60km to go.
Astana Qazaqstan confirmed the abandonment on Twitter shortly after Cavendish left the roadside.
"[Mark Cavendish] crashed 60 km from finish with Pello Bilbao and was forced to abandon. He left the race in the ambulance," the announcement read. "Updates will follow as soon as there is more news."
The team subsequently confirmed details of the injuries on Saturday evening.
Cavendish narrowly missed a record-breaking 35th stage win on stage 7 on Saturday, outsprinted by Jasper Philipsen while also suffering a mechanical.
The sprint on stage 7 was tumultuous, with Philipsen deviating from his racing line in a move that resulted in a complaint from Astana Qazakstan director Alexander Vinokourov - which ultimately did not find Philipsen at fault.
He hit the highest speed of the group sprint on stage 7, at a speed of 74.7kph with 300m remaining - in a glimpse of form that offered some hope of seeing the Manxman break the infamous Tour de France stage win record set by Eddy Merckx.
Speaking after the race, Tour de France director Christian Prudhomme paid tribute to the historic sprinter.
"It is an emotional day," Prudhomme said. "He was so sad just after the fall. He's the best sprinter in the history of the Tour de France.
"He wanted to try to win a 35th stage. And he was second yesterday. During two or three seconds yesterday we thought he would succeed in doing his goal, and today, it's over. So he is sad, we are sad, Le Tour de France is sad."
Prudhomme made clear that the sprinter who he regards as the race's greatest will always be welcome at the Tour. "Mark deserves the respect of the Tour," he said. "He always will be welcome with or without his bike."
His departure from the Tour de France on stage 8 marks a sad ending to the sprinter’s career, following his announcement at the Giro d’Italia that this would be his final season.
Fans across the world were hoping to see Cavendish complete his career, one that marks him as one of the greatest sprinters of all time, with a final stage win at the French race. His abandonment will be a disappointment for the race, his team, and fans across the globe.
