Frenchmen Sébastien Turgot (Bbox Bouygues Telecom) and Yoann Offredo (Française des Jeux) have both been ruled out of the Vuelta a España after they broke bones this week at the Eneco Tour. Both riders had been expected to race at the Spanish Grand Tour for their respective teams.
Turgot was diagnosed with a broken ankle on Friday, while Offredo has a broken collarbone. The riders suffered their injuries in a crash at the end of the first road stage of the Benelux Tour.
Turgot had been expected to start the second road stage, however examination of the injury on Friday morning revealed the break and his team, BBox Bouygues Telecom, have confirmed that he will not race again this season.
Offredo suffered a broken collarbone and will now miss a start in what would have been his first Grand Tour. On the Française des Jeux website, directeur sportif Martial Gayant said the injury was a blow to the 22-year-old rider.
"I spoke to Yoann in the ambulance that transported him to the hospital, at that stage it hadn't been confirmed, but he was sure it was broken," said Gayant. "It's hard for him, he had been working very hard and was looking forward to his first Grand Tour."
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