Burghardt keeps on after crash, Wagner out of Qatar

By Gregor Brown and Susan Westemeyer

Marcus Burghardt of Team Columbia-Highroad took to the start of today's Tour de Qatar stage despite injuring himself in a crash on Monday. He appeared at the start with a bandage on his knee and said that he was otherwise all right.

Another German rider was not so lucky. Robert Wagner of Skil-Shimano crashed in the neutral zone Tuesday and had to drop out of the race. There was no immediate word on his injuries.

Burghardt ripped open his left side and injured his elbow, and also complained of a swollen knee, when he went down in stage three. After the stage he was checked out at the hospital, but nothing was broken.

Burghardt, 25, is a Classics specialist who won Gent-Wevelgem in 2007. He missed the entire Classics season last year due to a knee injury.