Chris Harper loses part of thumb after Tour de France crash
Chris Harper has revealed that he lost part of his left thumb following the crash that forced him to abandon the Tour de France, joking that the injury had at least made him ten grams lighter.
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The Australian crashed heavily during Stage 10 of the Tour de France, coming down on the descent from the Puy Mary around 25 kilometres from the finish in Le Lioran.
Harper fell at the same corner where his Pinarello-Q36.5 leader Tom Pidcock had crashed moments earlier. Matteo Jorgenson was another rider to lose control on the treacherous section of road.
While Pidcock was quickly able to remount and return to the group of general classification contenders, Harper suffered a far more serious impact. Television images showed him at the side of the road clutching a bloodied left hand.
Despite the injury, Harper managed to get back on his bike and complete the stage. He eventually reached the finish more than half an hour after stage winner Tadej Pogačar.
Medical examinations after the finish revealed a serious injury to Harper’s left thumb. He underwent surgery that evening and was ruled out of the following stage, bringing his Tour de France to a premature end.
Harper later suggested on Instagram that the operation had resulted in the loss of a small part of his thumb.
“Pulling out of any bike race sucks but hurts a bit more to pull out of the biggest one of them all,” he wrote.
“Thanks to the team for the support and fingers crossed for a quick recovery and back into some racing for the second part of the season.
“On a positive note think I’m now 10g lighter. #marginalgains.”
Speaking after Stage 10, Pinarello-Q36.5 coach Kurt Bogaerts told In de Leiderstrui that loose debris or road treatment may have contributed to the crashes. A white coating had been applied to sections of the route to stop the asphalt from softening in the intense heat, but several riders said it had made the surface dangerously slippery.
“There was loose material on the road, possibly because of the heat,” Bogaerts said. “It was in a place where the riders did not expect it.”
Harper’s departure is also a sporting setback for Pidcock, with the Australian selected as one of his key climbing domestiques for the Tour.
The 31-year-old will now focus on his recovery and hopes to return to racing during the second half of the season.
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