Tour de France 2018: Fractured vertebra ends Vincenzo Nibali’s Tour

Updated 19/07/2018 at 21:29 GMT

Former champion Vincenzo Nibali is out of the Tour de France after suffering a fractured vertebra when crashing five kilimotres from the finish line of stage 12 to Alpe d'Huez.

Vincenzo Nibali bei der Tour de France 2018

Image credit: Imago

The Italian remarkably recovered after being knocked off his bike by a police motorcycle to finish the stage 13 seconds behind winner and overall race leader Geraint Thomas.

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However, despite occupying fourth overall – 2:37 off Thomas – the Bahrain-Merida rider has been forced to abandon his Tour dream after further scans proved damaging.

"The scan has confirmed what we feared," Bahrain-Merida team doctor Emilio Magni told Tuttobiciweb. "There's a fracture of the T10 vertebra. It's a non-displaced fracture but it's clear Vincenzo can't ride his bike again for at least 15 days."

A tweet from Nibali read:

Hello guys ... returning to the hotel, unfortunately the outcome of the medical report is not good, [it] confirmed the fracture to the vertebra, tomorrow I will return home for a period of recovery. Thank you for all your affection shown to me! To the next

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