THIS WEEK IN PRO CYCLING »

Get the VeloNews Email Newsletter FREE

  Learn More | Archive
Home » Top Stories » News and Features » » Tour de France

Aussie, Aussie, Aussie: Out, out, out

Evans remains sole hope for Oz

Published: Jul. 15, 2007
O'Grady suffered three broken vertabra, five cracked ribs and a broken scapula.
O'Grady suffered three broken vertabra, five cracked ribs and a broken scapula.
Photo: Graham Watson

Australian cycling fans may be drowning their sorrows in a cold Foster’s Monday after learning that not one but three of their nation’s top riders were out of the Tour after Sunday’s critical climbing stage.

First to leave the race was CSC’s Paris-Roubaix champion Stuart O’Grady, who was taken to the hospital after a crash on the fast and tricky descent of the Cormet de Roselend. According to hospital officials O'Grady suffered fractures to five ribs.

“For the moment he is in the hospital and is getting a scan,” said CSC team director Kim Andersen. “It is difficult to say more than that before the scan is finished. He had a bad crash, but maybe he is okay. He was never unconscious.”

That scan revealed that O'Grady suffered three broken vertabra, five cracked ribs and a broken scapula. He also suffered a punctured long that had filled with blood. Desite the extent of those injuries, they did not result in damage to his spinal cord and he is said to be out of serious danger.

Though O’Grady was first to leave the race, his compatriot Michael Rogers had crashed out of the day’s breakaway earlier on the same descent when he went down in a left-hand turn. Rogers abandoned in tears on the days’ second category 1 climb, the Hauteville Climb. He was later diagnosed with a dislocated shoulder. Adding insult to injury, Rogers had been the virtual race leader on the road.

“It was a really dangerous descent, but I wasn’t pushing it too hard,” Rogers said. “I just overcooked it on a left-hand turn. There was nothing I could do about it, my back wheel was where my front wheel should have been. I got back up and tried to ride but realized I was hurt. It's a real shame because I could see the yellow jersey. But honestly, I can't complain, because that's cycling.”

Last to leave the race was stage 1 winner Robbie McEwen (Predictor-Lotto), who has struggled with injuries since crashing just 4km from the finish of the opening stage before winning the field sprint. McEwen finished 1:09:22 behind stage winner Michael Rasmussen, well beyond the time cut of 40:34.

“One moment we’re cheering Michael Rogers being the virtual leader, and the next we see him lying on the ground,” said Rob Arnold, publishing editor of Australia’s RIDE Cycling Review. “To quote Michael’s brother Deane, it was both the best and worst hour of the Tour I’ve ever seen.”

“It’s a real shame for Australian cycling, no doubt,” Arnold continued. “In 2005 we had 10 Australians start and 10 finish. This year we had six start and there’s only two left — Cadel Evans [Predictor-Lotto] and Simon Gerrans [AG2R]. It was supposed to be the year for the Aussies.”

Evans, however, stood in contrast to his compatriots, finishing the day in sixth place on General Classification, 3:13 out of first. The Predictor-Lotto rider remains a strong contender for the podium.