Spain’s 2006 champion Oscar Pereiro suffered shoulder injuries after crashing spectacularly out of the 15th stage of the Tour de France here on Sunday.
According to a first official diagnosis Pereiro has a sprained shoulder but has not injured his leg or his back, as previously believed. “He is not complaining of pain in his legs or his back,” said a doctor accompanying Pereiro to hospital.
Pereiro’s team manager Eusebio Unzue later confirmed he was still in hospital suffering from pains “down his left side”. “In the downhill, he hit a rider in front of him and went up in the air for four or five metres,” added Unzue.
Unzue said the 31-year-old Pereiro was able to talk moments after his fall, and did not appear to suffer more serious injuries. “Luckily, at no time did he lose consciousness,” Unzue said. “He told me he had a lot of pain in his left shoulder, where he was two or three fractures.”
The Caisse d’Epargne rider toppled over a security barrier on his way down Col Agnel in the French/Italian Alps, falling several metres onto the road below. The summit of the Col Agnel is the border crossing point between France and Italy.
The accident happened on the first Alpine stage of the Tour between Embrun and Prato Nevoso in Italy. Pereiro was in 15th position, 6min 1sec behind race leader Cadel Evans when he crashed out of the race. The Spaniard was declared the winner of the 2006 Tour de France after American Floyd Landis was stripped of the title for taking testosterone.