Edvald Boasson Hagen has withdrawn from the Tour de France after fracturing his right shoulder blade in a crash on stage 12, reducing Team Sky’s squad to just seven riders.
The British team’s nine-man line up had already been depleted by Vasil Kiryienka’s failure to make the time cut at the end of stage eight.
Boasson Hagen, who had registered a series of strong performances at this year’s Tour, including second behind Mark Cavendish on stage five, was involved in a high-speed collision on the approach to Tours.
Team Sky’s doctor, Alan Farrell, said the 26-year-old, twice a stage winner in the 2011 Tour, had fractured his right shoulder blade.
“Fortunately this doesn’t require surgery, but Edvald will return home to Norway for further investigation and treatment and we look forward to seeing him racing again sometime over the summer,” Farrell said.
Boasson Hagen’s withdrawal is a serious blow to Team Sky, whose leader, Chris Froome, leads the race by 3.25 from Movistar’s Alejandro Valverde.
After dominating stage eight, the team fell into disarray the following day, forcing Froome to defend his race lead alone.
Sky recovered their composure on the flat stage 10, and Froome increased his lead at the head of the standings after an impressive second-placed finish in the stage 11 time trial.
But as stage 12 reached its climax with a bunch sprint, Boasson Hagen was caught in a collision which accounted for much of the Lotto Belisol lead-out train of stage six winner, Andre Greipel.
While it is unlikely that the Norwegian would have played a role at Froome’s side in the high mountains ahead, his strength and ability to control the tempo of the peloton by setting a high pace on the approach to the climbs will be sorely missed by Team Sky.
Team principal, Dave Brailsford, said: “The plan doesn’t change and we will do everything we can to support Chris [Froome].”
“It’s a real shame for Edvald and a setback for the team that he’s been forced to abandon the race.
“It’s never nice to lose a rider of Edvald’s ability, but ultimately we’re still confident that with the riders we’ve got left we can pull together and see the race through.
