Tour de France 2019: Alessandro De Marchi ruled out of race after breaking collarbone in crash

The 33-year-old CCC member crashed 8km into the ninth stage on Sunday

Italian cyclist Alessandro De Marchi has been ruled out of the Tour de France after sustaining a broken collarbone and collapsed lung in a serious crash during the ninth stage of the race.

The 33-year-old CCC member crashed 8km into Sunday's race and was seen lying prostrate on the road with blood streaming from his head before an ambulance arrived to treat him.

He was subsequently rushed to hospital where his injuries were further assessed.

CCC Team posted an update on Twitter at the time, saying: “We can confirm @ADM_RossodiBuja was fully conscious after his crash.’

“He has a deep facial laceration and will be taken to hospital for X-rays to determine if he has any fractures.”

It was later confirmed that the Italian had suffered a broken collarbone along with abrasions, bruising and a collapsed lung. He will remain in hospital for at least 24 hours.

Dr Max Testa, the chief medical officer at CCC team said: “Alessandro’s recovery timeline will depend on whether he has surgery, but it will be at least three to four weeks before he can start riding on the rollers, following which he will ease back into training on the road.

“He will hopefully be in a position to race again in early September but we will continued to monitor his recovery and adjust this plan accordingly.”

De Marchi expressed his dissatisfaction, saying: “I’m really sorry to leave the Tour de France without having won a stage, which was my big goal. I’m disappointed to interrupt my tradition of finishing Grand Tours, as this will be the first time I’ve abandoned one.’’

However, he remained hopeful about making a swift recovery.

“I’m fortunate that my injuries are not worse than they are,” he added. “I’ve had a chance to speak to my family and I’m in good hands here at the hospital. I’m looking forward to getting back on the bike as soon as possible.”