Hesjedal hoping to start Tour's seventh stage

TOMBLAINE, France (AFP) –

Canada’s Ryder Hesjedal competes in the 6.4 km individual time-trial and prologue of the 2012 Tour de France cycling race around Liege on June 30. Garmin team leader Hesjedal was hoping to resume racing on the Tour de France Saturday after suffering several injuries in the crash-marred sixth stage.

Garmin team leader Ryder Hesjedal was hoping to resume racing on the Tour de France Saturday after suffering several injuries in the crash-marred sixth stage.

Canada’s recent Giro d’Italia champion was one of several Garmin men to suffer in the 60 km/h pile-up 26 kilometres from the finish line of Friday’s 205 km stage from Epernay to Metz.

Teammate Tom Danielson was forced out of the race, along with five riders from other teams, and on Saturday morning Garmin were among many teams counting their maimed and injured.

Danielson suffered a reoccurrence of the separated shoulder he sustained in a crash on stage three as well as a sprained neck, chest contusion and multiple extensive deep abrasions, according to a Garmin team statement.

Belgian Johan Vansummeren arrived at the stage finish with barely a stitch of his cycling gear holding together and with patches of road rash on his back and buttocks.

He was transported to a local hospital immediately where exams revealed a sprain to his right shoulder and upper back along with multiple abrasions, according to Garmin.

A team statement said Hesjedal and Vansummeren “would be evaluated by team medical staff and a determination will be made as to whether they will start the race”.

Stage seven is a 199 km ride from Tomblaine to the race’s first summit finish at La Planche des Belles Filles in the Vosges.

With Hesjedal now nearly 14 minutes off the lead, team chief Jonathan Vaguhters said: “Clearly, this will mean a change in strategy for the team.

“We’ll be looking for stage wins, possibly the KOM (King of the Mountain) jersey and ways to animate the race.

“It was a tough day but all things considered, spirits are good.”

Hesjedal said: “The team helped me get to the line, but just getting there was all I was able to do. At that point, it was just about getting to the finish.

“That was one of the worst crashes I’ve ever seen and I hope that everyone else who went down is okay.”