Saunier Duval-Scott rider Ángel Gómez suffered a fissure in the right hip when he crash badly in yesterday's stage three of the Tour de France. The peloton had just started to really get going in order to catch the breakaway, when a divider in the road brought down Gómez, Danish road champion Nicki Sørensen (CSC-Saxo Bank) and Frenchman Matthieu Sprick (Bouygues Telecom). While the latter two continued, Gómez was unable to get up. He was carried off on a stretcher and transferred to a hospital in Nantes.
Initial exams showed no signs of a fracture, but Gómez was unable to put any weight on his right leg. Further X-rays then revealed a fissure or hairline fracture. The doctors ruled out any surgery, but advised Gómez to rest for at least a month to let the fissure heal completely. He will receive anti-inflammatories to help along recovery.
