Yellow Jersey Holder Torstein Traeen Out of Tour de France with Concussion and Fractured Ribs

Norwegian cyclist Torstein Traeen has been forced to abandon the Tour de France after sustaining injuries in a crash during the sixth stage. Traeen, who had proudly worn the yellow jersey as the race leader through the fifth and sixth stages, did not start the seventh stage on Friday.

The incident occurred during the descent of the penultimate climb, the Tourmalet, on Thursday. Traeen collided with his teammate Anders Halland Johannessen. Despite the crash, Traeen managed to finish the stage, albeit with a significant time deficit of half an hour behind the new leader, Tadej Pogačar.

Subsequent medical examinations conducted at the hospital revealed the extent of his injuries: several fractured ribs and a mild concussion. These injuries have made it impossible for him to continue in the demanding multi-stage race.

Traeen's withdrawal marks a disappointing end to his impressive performance in the early stages of the Tour de France, where he demonstrated strong form by leading the general classification.