YORK, England (AP) — British sprinter Mark Cavendish pulled out of the Tour de France on Sunday ahead of the second stage with a shoulder injury.
Cavendish, with his arm in a sling underneath his sweatshirt, said outside the team bus that it was "disappointing" that his race was over.
He saw his hopes of winning his first yellow jersey disappear on Saturday when he hit the ground near the finish of the first stage in his mother's hometown of Harrogate.
Cavendish was able to cross the finish line then underwent medical exams that revealed a separated shoulder.
"Normally, I bounce well when I crash," Cavendish said. "When I was on the ground yesterday I knew something was wrong."
He said his shoulder was "sticking out."
"I really had this little bit of optimism that I might be OK this morning but it's just impossible," Cavendish said, adding that he will undergo an MRI to see if the injury requires surgery.
Cavendish, one of the most successful sprinters in the history of the race, has won 25 Tour stages.