Cycling news - Groupama-FDJ's Jake Stewart out of Tour of Flanders with fractured hand

ByAlexander Netherton

Updated 30/03/2021 at 15:48 GMT

British cyclist Jake Stewart will now miss the weekend's Tour of Flanders after it was confirmed that he had suffered a fractured left hand at the Cholet-Pays de la Loire on Sunday. The Groupama-FDJ rider was injured in a collision at the finale of the race and had originally believed he would be fit to compete.

Groupama-FDJ cyclist Jake Stewart will miss the Tour of Flanders after fracturing his left hand at the Cholet-Pays de la Loire on Sunday.

Stewart had initially believed the injury to be minor enough to allow him to participate at this weekend’s event but his team have since discovered the full extent of his injury.

The 21-year-old Briton was felled by a collision with Arkea-Samsic rider Nacer Bouhanni at the race’s finale, and could only manage a 29th-placed finish.

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Stewart has now revealed on his Twitter account that he has a fractured second metacarpal.

"We thought and was hoping that it was just superficial, but this morning X-ray showed a fractured second metacarpal after Sunday's Cholet-Pays de la Loire," Stewart wrote.

"Gutted to say the least to be missing De Ronde this week, but full focus now for recovering and getting back on the bike."

Stewart has enjoyed a promising full year as a professional, with a second place at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, sixth at the Bredene Koksijde Classic and fourth at Etoile de Besseges.

Bouhanni is due to face disciplinary action from the UCI after being referred by commissaries at the Cholet-Pays de la Loire.

Highlights as 'totally out of order' Bouhanni disqualified for scary near-miss

The French rider claimed that his collision was an accident, as he was attempting to challenge another rider towards the end of the race, Elia Viviani.

Bouhanni has since apologised for the move, claiming that it was unintentional.

"I’m sorry for Jake Stewart,” Bouhanni said. “The sprint went like this: I see Elia Viviani open up and I want to take his wheel. I admit that my error was changing my line to go and get on his wheel.

"I don’t see Jake Stewart at that moment. I just wanted to take the slipstream because it was a head-cross wind from the right. In no way was it intentional."

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