Perichon fractures collarbone following crash with Paris-Nice spectator

In the final 20 kilometres of the first stage at Paris-Nice, Pierre-Luc Périchon was attacking off the front of the peloton on the Côte du Chemin du Tertre de la Motte gravel sector with ambitions for a win. Fast forward 24-hours to stage 2, and the Fortuneo-Vital Concept rider was picking himself off the ground inside the final 10 kilometres with a fractured left collarbone having collided with a spectato, who according to the team, was 'doing well'.

Fortuneo-Vital Concept team doctor Jean-Jacques Menuet explained that 29-year-old Périchon will require surgery for his injury and will likely then be out of action for four weeks.

"Pierre-Luc Périchon suffering a displaced fracture of the left collarbone which justifies the placement of a bone plate," Menuet said. "He will be operated on Thursday afternoon at the Clinique du Parc in Lyon by a shoulder specialist. He also has many wounds on the body which will keep him under observation tonight. For this type of fracture, it normally takes four weeks of downtime, if there are no complications."

The team's Argentinian GC rider Eduardo Sepulveda also suffered misfortune at a French stage race when he was hit by barrier at La Drome Classic that broke his wrist and knocked him unconscious at the end of last month.

General manager, Emmanuel Hubert, explained the incident was further set back to the team but he expects his riders to bounce back with a good showing for the remainder of the race.

"This is a new blow for the team. I know Pierre-Luc is disappointed and sad, he worked hard," Hubert said. "This is very bad news. We really haven't had luck with injuries and falls since the beginning of the season. I'm a little dejected tonight, but tomorrow we will start from the front. " 

Stage 3 of Paris-Nice is 165.5km in length, taking the peloton from Cusset to the hill top finish on Mont Brouilly.