France - The seventh stage of the Tour de France ended in farcical fashion on Friday when an inflatable arch, marking one kilometre to go, deflated and slowed down the bunch, sending Briton Adam Yates to the ground.
Yates got back on his bike and crossed the line with blood on his chin.
“He was on his own when it happened, the arch fell in front of him and he did not have time to brake so he did a somersault and fell on his face,” said his Orica-Bike Exchange sports director Lorenzo Lapage.
“The doctor is checking him...his shoulder is aching.”
Yates said: “I'm disappointed. There's not much you can do, I had no time to react.
“It's a good job it was just me on my own. It could have been a lot worse.”
Yates lost considerable ground but he and the other riders in the bunch who were slowed down should not lose any time, said race director Thierry Gouvenou.
“We have a time control at the three-kilometre (left) mark so it is likely that we'll be taking the timings at that point.”
According to provisional results, Yates finished 30th in the stage and lies 73rd in the overall standings.
Reuters