For at least two professional cyclists, the Tour de France ended prematurely after the falls shortly before the finish of the fourth stage.
Spaniard Luis Leon Sanchez suffered a fracture of his left collarbone and will return to Spain, according to his team Astana Qazasqstan. The 39-year-old will undergo an operation there, his team said.
According to his lottery team, the Italian Jacopo Guarnieri cannot continue the tour either. In addition to his broken collarbone, the 35-year-old also suffered minor fractures to three ribs and abrasions to the skin. He is also scheduled for surgery this week.
Caleb Ewan loses starters
Guarnieri is the starter for the Australian Caleb Ewen, who finished second in the sprint stage in Nogaro on Tuesday.
Dutch European champion Fabio Jakobsen also fell in one of the three falls at the end of the stage. The 27-year-old suffered skin abrasions, but was still able to roll to the finish.