Italian rider Alessandro Petacchi (Lampre) came through to win the 192km fourth stage of the Tour of Switzerland on Tuesday, although a mass crash marred the final sprint.
German Tony Martin (HTC-Columbia), held up by the crash 50m from the finish line, kept hold of the leader’s yellow jersey.
The pile-up occurred when Martin’s Columbia team-mate Mark Cavendish of Great Britain and the German-Australian Heinrich Haussler (Cervelo Test Team), winner of the second stage, touched bikes as they were sprinting for the line.
PHOTO: AFP
The two leaders both went to ground, bringing down a dozen other riders with them, notably the Belgian Tom Boonen (Quick Step), who hit Cavendish on the way.
Haussler, who was taken to hospital where tests revealed a deep wound to his right elbow, will take no further part in the race.
“I didn’t see Cavendish coming,” Haussler said. “He drove into my wheel and before I knew it, I went down and was lying on the ground. I could have won the stage today.”
Columbia team doctors said Cavendish was not seriously injured.
The Briton, however, was held responsible for the crash by the Tour jury and was handed a series of punishments for “changing his line, putting his colleagues in danger and causing an accident.”
Cavendish was docked 30 seconds in the general classification, 25 points in the points classification and ordered to pay a fine of 200 Swiss francs (US$177).
Frenchman Arnaud Coyot was another victim, suffering a suspected broken hip.
The 36-year-old Petacchi had abandoned the Tour of Italy on the eighth stage because of a bronchial problem.
The winner of over 150 honors during his 14-year career, he had enough breath in him this time to pick his way through the crash site and take his first ever stage win in Switzerland.
“I was a long way back and normally wouldn’t have any chance of winning this stage,” Petacchi said. “I don’t know what happened in front. Maybe the wind had something to do with this unfortunate finish. I don’t like winning this way. If Cavendish hadn’t crashed, he would certainly have won.”
Denmark’s Matti Breschel (Team Saxo Bank) took second place while another Italian, Marco Marcato (Vacansoleil), was third over the line.
The fifth stage yesterday was scheduled to take the riders 172km from Wettingen to Frutigen.
Doping fears prevented former US Open champion Emma Raducanu from treating insect bites on the eve of the Australian Open, she said, with players increasingly wary about ingesting contaminated substances. The British player was speaking in the wake of high-profile doping cases involving Iga Swiatak and Jannik Sinner. “I would say all of us are probably quite sensitive to what we take on board, what we use,” the 22-year-old said, recalling an incident on Friday. “I got really badly bitten by, I don’t know what, like ants, mosquitoes, something. I’m allergic, I guess,” she added. The bites “flared up and swelled up really a
The NHL postponed the Los Angeles Kings’ home game against the Calgary Flames on Wednesday with several massive wildfires burning across the greater Los Angeles area. The Kings and Flames were scheduled to play on Wednesday night at the Kings’ downtown arena. The NBA’s Los Angeles Lakers were scheduled to host the Charlotte Hornets in the same arena last night. “Our hearts are with our entire Los Angeles community,” the Kings said in a statement. “We appreciate the hard working first responders who are diligently working to contain the fire and protect our community. We appreciate the league’s support in keeping our
TWO IN A WEEK: Despite an undefeated start to the year playing alongside Jiang Xinyu of China, Wu Fang-hsien is to play the Australian Open with a Russian partner Taiwan’s Wu Fang-hsien yesterday triumphed at the Hobart International, winning the women’s doubles title at the US$275,094 outdoor hard-court tournament, while McCartney Kessler lifted the trophy in the women’s singles. Fourth-ranked Wu and partner Jiang Xinyu of China took 1 hour, 15 minutes to defeat Romania’s Monica Niculescu and Fanny Stollar of Hungary, 6-1, 7-6 (8/6) at the Hobart International Tennis Centre, their second title in a week. Wu and Jiang on Sunday won the women’s doubles title at the ASB Classic in Auckland, beating Serbia’s Aleksandra Krunic and Sabrina Santamaria of the US. Their winning ways continued in Australia as they stretched
EL CLASSICO: La Liga champions Real Madrid would face Barcelona in the Super Cup final tomorrow. Barça secured their final spot after a 2-0 win over Bilbao on Wednesday Real Madrid would chase a record-equaling 14th Spanish Super Cup title in the final against Barcelona after second-half goals by Jude Bellingham and Rodrygo helped them to a 3-0 win over Mallorca in the semi-finals on Thursday. England midfielder Bellingham broke the deadlock after the hour mark with a low shot into the middle of the goal before Mallorca defender Martin Valjent’s own goal doubled the lead in stoppage time followed by a Rodrygo strike from close range. Spanish champions Real are to play Barcelona for the trophy tomorrow after goals by Gavi and Lamine Yamal earned Barça a 2-0 win over
RSS