Træen withdraws from Tour de France after crash

Torstein Træen's Tour de France journey ended abruptly on Thursday after a painful crash during the sixth stage. The Norwegian rider, who had recently taken the yellow jersey, was involved in a high-speed descent from the iconic Tourmalet mountain when he collided with his teammate Anders Halland Johannessen.

The incident sent Træen tumbling to the asphalt, and while he managed to remount his bike, subsequent medical examinations revealed the extent of his injuries. "It's unfortunately not going so well with Torstein," said Uno-X team boss Thor Hushovd, relaying the disappointing news from the X-ray results. "It turned out to be four broken ribs."

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It's unfortunately not going so well with Torstein. We saw all that he fell badly. Now we have got X-ray answers. It became four broken ribs. Torstein Træen will unfortunately not be seen at the start tomorrow.

Træen's withdrawal is a significant blow to his team, particularly for Tobias Halland Johannessen, who was relying on Træen as a key support rider in the mountains. "It weakens us. Torstein was in great shape and was supposed to be around Tobias in the mountains. We have to reset, but Torstein will be greatly missed," Hushovd added. The team now faces the challenge of adapting their strategy without a crucial domestique as they continue their Tour de France campaign.

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It weakens us. Torstein was in great shape and was supposed to be around Tobias in the mountains. We have to reset, but Torstein will be greatly missed.