Piet Rooijakkers is treated after his crash in the Tour's stage 4 TTT in Montpellier (Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Piet Rooijakkers (Skil-Shimano) abandoned the Tour de France Tuesday due to a crash and multiple injuries in the stage four team time trial in Montpellier.
Rooijakkers suffered a triple fracture to his left arm, a broken finger and contusions to his head and left shoulder. Medics took him the nearby University Hospital Lapeyronie where he had a seven-hour operation to repair his arm fractures.
Skil-Shimano said that the surgery was a success. Rooijakkers, 28, will spend at least two days recovering in hospital before he returns home to the Netherlands. The team expects his recovery to take up to twelve weeks.
Rooijakkers' crash was one of a number that occurred during Tuesday's team time trial. A number of riders and observers were critical of the technical 39-kilometre course.
Skil-Shimano finished the team time trial 20th place, 5:23 down on the winning time of Astana.
Rooijakkers is the second rider to abandon this year's Tour de France. Belgian, Jurgen Van De Walle (Quick Step), broke his collarbone and punctured a lung in Sunday's stage two to Brignoles.
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