Tuesday, July 04, 2006
Stage 3: Two more out
Freddy Rodriguez (American Davitamon-Lotto rider) and Erik Dekker (Dutch rider for Rabobank) are out of the Tour following a bad crash on the roads today in Belgium. It's reported that Dekker broke his clavicle. The field is down to 173.What a shame! Fast Freddie only managed to make one entry in his active.com Tour de France blog before he was out of the game. And Dekker didn't even manage to make it into the Netherlands on one of the rare Tour visits there.
Update: According to Cyclingnews, "Rodriguez didn't break any bones, he suffered heavy concussion" and "Dekker suffered concussion and serious facial injuries: abrasions, facial trauma, a contusion, a ripped upper lip, as well as a couple of broken teeth. He was kept unconscious on Tuesday night so that his face could be cleaned. Thus ended what is almost certainly his final Tour de France."
About Dekker, team spokesman Jacob Bergsma said, "Some of the guys thought he was dead. The tar from the road was all over his face."
