Luis Leon Sanchez ruled out of the Tour de France with a broken collarbone #Luis #Leon #Sanchez #ruled #Tour #France #broken #collarbone

PAU, France (AP) — Former Paris-Nice champion Luis Leon Sanchez has withdrawn from the Tour de France after a crash that left him with a broken left collarbone.

The Spanish rider was involved in one of the many crashes that marred the finale of Tuesday’s fourth stage of the race.

The Astana-Qazaqstan team said Sanchez was expected to travel home Wednesday to undergo surgery.

Belgium's Jasper Philipsen, left, sprints ahead of Australia's Caleb Ewan to win the fourth stage of the Tour de France cycling race over 182 kilometers (113 miles) with start in Dax and finish in Nogaro, France, Tuesday, July 4, 2023. (AP Photo/Daniel Cole)

Belgian rider Jasper Philipsen won a mass sprint to earn a second straight stage victory at the Tour de France, while Adam Yates kept the race leader’s yellow jersey heading into the Pyrenees mountains.

Belgium's Jasper Philipsen, left, celebrates as he crosses the finish line ahead of second placed Germany's Phil Bauhaus, right, to win the third stage of the Tour de France cycling race over 187.5 kilometers (116.5 miles) with start in Morebieta Etxano, Spain and finish in Bayonne, France, Monday, July 3, 2023. (AP Photo/Daniel Cole)

Belgian cyclist Jasper Philipsen has won the third stage of the Tour de France in a bunched sprint while Adam Yates kept the race leader’s yellow jersey.

France's Victor Lafay crosses the finish line to win the second stage of the Tour de France cycling race over 209 kilometers (130 miles) with start in Vitoria Gasteiz and finish in San Sebastian, Spain, Sunday, July 2, 2023. (AP Photo/Daniel Cole)

French rider Victor Lafay made a late move to break away from the pack and give Cofidis its first Tour de France stage win in 15 years.

Britain's Adam Yates celebrates after crossing the finish line of the first stage of the Tour de France cycling race over 182 kilometers (113 miles) with start and finish in Bilbao, Spain, Saturday, July 1, 2023. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)

Adam Yates has pulled away from his twin brother Simon Yates to win the first stage of the Tour de France, with race favorites Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard finishing not far behind.

“It all went so fast in that hectic finale, with so many turns in the end,” Sanchez said. “I had no control any more over my bike on that tricky surface.”

Sanchez’s withdrawal is a blow to teammate Mark Cavendish’s hopes of adding another mass sprint to his tally and beat the all-time record of 34 stage wins he shares with Eddy Merckx.

“We really lose an important rider for all kinds of stages, including the stages where he was part of the lead-out for Mark Cavendish,” team manager Alexandre Vinokourov said.

Wednesday’s stage 5, the first in the mountains this year, could help reshuffle the cards in the general classification, with defending champion Jonas Vingegaard and two-time winner Tadej Pogacar expected to test each other in the Pyrenees. The 162.7-kilometer (100.9-mile) trek includes a daunting 15.2-kilometer (9.4-mile) grind up Col de Soudet that has the toughest category rating