Australian sprint star Robbie McEwen will miss the Tour deFrance after badly injuring his left knee in his second crash in amonth in Belgium, his Katusha team said Thursday.
McEwen, 36, was admitted to hospital with what his team fearedcould be a career-threatening injury in the second stage of theTour of Belgium.
"Robbie hit a tub of flowers and fell. He went off to hospitalfor analysis," said the racer's sporting director Jef Braeckevelt.
"I am hoping for good news but I fear a serious injury as he hasan open and deep wound just above the knee," he added.
His fears proved well-founded as team official Bart Leysen latertold Italian television that the rider's "ligaments have beenstrained and a tendon may have been partially torn."Leysen added that doctors had warned McEwen may have to quit thesaddle for some four months and "fears for his career."A team statement added that McEwen "cut his ligaments under hisleft knee and the doctors are rebuilding it, (hence) it's almostimpossible his participation at the Tour de France."This latest accident came weeks after the Aussie was left withconcussion after a tumble in the Grand Prix de l'Escaut, also inBelgium.
That put paid to his plan to compete in the Tour of Italy,forcing him to concentrate instead on this race as preparation forthe Tour de France.
The second stage was won by Slovenia's Borut Bozic which shothim to the top of the overall lead.
The Vacansoleil rider who began the day third overall, took theleader's black jersey from Russian Sergei Ivanov after winning asprint to the line at Knokke-Heist in northern Belgium, ahead ofItalian Alberto Ongarato and Australia's Graeme Brown.
"I wasn't sure if I would try the sprint because I wasn'tfeeling too great," he added. "But the team put in so much workthat I had to go for it. My teammates really gave me a goodrun-in," added the 28-year-old, who picked up his first win of theseason.
"The most important stage is on Saturday, in the Ardennes, whichwill be very difficult. But the team is strong and we are going totry and defend the leader's jersey even if it's going to becomplicated."Friday's stage features a 181.7km run from Knokke to Temse andis geared towards the sprinters.
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