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Australian rider Chris Harper is out of the Tour de France after losing part of his left thumb in a gruesome crash during Tuesday\u2019s dramatic stage across the Massif Central.<\/p>\n
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Harper, 31, crashed on the descent of the Puy Mary, one of several riders to hit the deck in the same corner during the scorching stage 10. Despite the injury, he remounted and finished the stage.<\/p>\n
He did not start Wednesday\u2019s stage, and Pinarello-Q36.5 later confirmed he had undergone surgery.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Australian rider came down on the descent from Puy Mary, approximately 25 kilometers from the finish in Le Lioran, after crashing at the same section where teammate Tom Pidcock had fallen moments earlier,\u201d the team said.<\/p>\n
\u201cMedical examinations carried out after the stage have confirmed Chris Harper suffered a serious injury to the thumb of his left hand.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe underwent surgery [Tuesday] evening and, unfortunately, due to the severity of the injury, he is unable to take the start of today\u2019s stage. He will now undergo further specialist assessment in Zurich.\u201d<\/p>\n
Harper crashed just moments after teammate Tom Pidcock fell in the same section of road. After the stage, Pidcock questioned the white treatment applied to parts of the descent, saying it made the road unexpectedly slippery in the extreme heat.<\/p>\n
\u201cPulling out of any bike race sucks but hurts a bit more to pull out of the biggest one of them all. Thanks to the team for the support and fingers crossed for a quick recovery and back into some racing for the second part of the season,\u201d Harper wrote on social media.<\/p>\n
Despite suffering one of the Tour\u2019s nastiest injuries, Harper managed to find some humor after surgery.<\/p>\n
\u201cOn a positive note think I\u2019m now 10g lighter \ud83d\ude02 #marginalgains\u201d<\/p>\n