Pereiro on his way to Spain for surgery

Spaniard Oscar Pereiro travelled Monday from a hospital in Italy, to Spain where he is scheduled for surgery Tuesday to repair the broken arm he suffered on stage 15. Pereiro crashed on the descent of the Col Agnel, 80 kilometres into the stage, when South African Robert Hunter fell and Pereiro was unable to avoid hitting the fallen rider.

Pereiro was launched up and over a guard rail by the impact, falling some 10 metres down a rocky embankment to the road below. He sustained a broken left humerus (the upper arm) in the fall, but knew his injuries could have been much worse considering the violent nature of the fall.

Caisse d'Epargne team doctor Jesús Hoyos said that Pereiro is in good spirits after having a quiet night. "He slept very little because he suffered from the various contusions and injuries, apart from the fracture of the humerus." The team later confirmed that Pereiro would travel to Vigo to undergo surgery to repair his broken arm.

Pereiro was recently named to Spain's team for the Olympic Games in Beijing, and was hoping to target the Vuelta a España, but will now be out of competition for up to two months.