Ace sprinter Mark Cavendish crashed out of the Tour de France, breaking his collarbone during the eighth stage of cycling’s biggest race.
Cavendish hit the ground Saturday with 64 kilometers (40 miles) left while riding at the back of the peloton at moderate speed.
TV images showed the veteran rider lying on the ground and then holding his right shoulder in pain.
Cavendish went inside an ambulance to receive treatment before his withdrawal was announced.
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The British rider finished second in Friday’s stage when Jasper Philipsen denied the rider known as the “Manx Missile” a record 35th Tour stage win.
Cavendish equaled Merckx’s record of 34 wins on the 2021 Tour, 13 years after his first success. Cavendish, who has never won the Tour, unlike five-time champion Merckx, will retire at the end of the season.
Denmark’s Mads Pedersen later won the stage in a sprint over Belgians Jasper Philipsen and Wout van Aert.
The top three in the overall standings, led by defending champion Jonas Vingegaard, went unchanged.
There may be a shakeup Sunday. Stage nine features a beyond-category summit finish to a dormant volcano.
The joint record-holder for most stage wins in Tour de France history, Mark Cavendish, was forced to abandon after a crash in his final year at the race before retirement. #TDF2023 pic.twitter.com/nHrzXnXwAh
— NBC Sports Cycling (@NBCSCycling) July 8, 2023