MORZINE, France (Reuters) – Australian Ben O’Connor pulled out of the Tour de France on Monday after failing to recover from a crash early in the race, his AG2R-Citroen team said.
O’Connor, fourth overall last year, sustained an injury on his buttocks muscle when he crashed in the second stage in Denmark.
“Ben O’Connor will not start the tenth stage of the Tour de France on Tuesday,” AG2R-Citroen said in a statement.
“The Australian rider suffered from a muscular lesion of the right gluteus medius. In agreement with the sports management and the medical management of the team, it was decided on Monday that he would not continue the race.”
O’Connor will now recover and take part in the Tour of Spain from Aug. 19-Sept. 11.
(Reporting by Julien Pretot; Editing by Christian Radnedge)
