Quick Step rider Tom Boonen has become the first major retiree on the 2011 Tour de France after abandoning his race on Stage 7.
Boonen suffered cuts and bruises after a nasty crash 70km into Stage 5's ride to Cap Frehel, in which he hit his head on the tarmac and smashed his helmet.
It was initially feared the Belgian had broken his collarbone, but he was given the all-clear to continue the Tour.
However, his injuries, combined with the two arduous stages on Thursday and Friday - a combined 454km - put paid to Boonen's participation, and the battered and bruised Boonen abandoned the Tour 90km into Friday's Stage 7.
Boonen's withdrawal is the latest in a serious of misfortunes to befall the Belgian sprinter, who has yet to live up to his impressive reputation on the Tour de France.
He has completed just two of the six Tours in which he has participated, and though he has six stage wins to his name, he has not won a stage nor worn the Tour's green jersey since 2007.
There was more bad news for Quick Step following Boonen's withdrawal, when it emerged that team-mate and French champion Sylvain Chavanel was struggling with injuries sustained in the same crash that so hampered Boonen.
For now Chavanel remains in the Tour, but was already over 13 minutes off the top of the general classification after Stage 6.
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