Kloden quits Tour

T-Mobile's Matthias Kessler was caught up in the same smack-down, the 26-year-old suffering a small concussion before finishing Tuesday's Stage 16 in the grupetto, 20 minutes behind Spanish stage laureate Oscar Pereiro (Phonak).

Klöden gritted his way to a fine finish in the yellow-jersey group of Lance Armstrong before being shuttled to hospital in Pau, France for x-rays, which confirmed the fracture.

Both Klöden and Kessler took Wednesday's Stage 17 start, but Klöden -- his left wrist encased in a plaster cast -- tossed the Tour towel just a few kilometres into the day, at 239.5 km the longest of the 2005 Tour de France.

At the exit of the Pyrenees, Klöden occupied 11th place in the overall standings. The German, second to Armstrong last year, was decidedly out of the 2005 general-classification running, but his quitting of the race could hamper T-Mobile's chances in the race's team ranking.

The German formation currently leads the team standings, in front of Discovery Channel and CSC.

Five stages remain in the race before the Tour de France rolls home to Paris on Sunday, July 24.