11 Jul 2012

World champ Martin out of Tour de France

1:41 pm on 11 July 2012

The world time trial champion German Tony Martin has pulled out of the Tour de France during the race's first rest day.

The 27-year-old, one of the Omega-Pharma team's key riders for the three-week epic, crashed on stage one and decided to continue in the race despite being diagnosed with a left wrist fracture.

Martin finished ninth in Tuesday's ninth stage, a 41.5-kilometre time trial, and was 67th in the overall standings.

He has pulled out of the Tour to let the broken bone in his wrist heal in time for the London Olympics.