polsongrizz
May 9th, 2005, 12:55 AM
Injured Ekimov to miss Tour de France
MOSCOW, May 3 (Reuters) - Russian rider Vyacheslav Ekimov will miss this year's Tour de France after breaking his collarbone and fracturing his spine.
His absence is a blow to American team mate Lance Armstrong's chances of winning a seventh consecutive title in his final Tour.
Ekimov, 39, a member of the U.S.-based Discovery Channel team, was injured after hitting a hole on the road and losing control of his bike while riding with Armstrong in the American's home town of Austin last week.
"Doctors told me that it will take two months to recover," Ekimov, who is now resting at home in his native St Petersburg, was quoted as saying by the Russian media. "In any case I will miss the Tour this year.
"It's a pity because I really wanted to ride with Armstrong in his last Tour.
"It also would have been my 15th Tour and I wanted to equal the record for most starts in that race but when you have a spinal injury it must be taken seriously."
MOSCOW, May 3 (Reuters) - Russian rider Vyacheslav Ekimov will miss this year's Tour de France after breaking his collarbone and fracturing his spine.
His absence is a blow to American team mate Lance Armstrong's chances of winning a seventh consecutive title in his final Tour.
Ekimov, 39, a member of the U.S.-based Discovery Channel team, was injured after hitting a hole on the road and losing control of his bike while riding with Armstrong in the American's home town of Austin last week.
"Doctors told me that it will take two months to recover," Ekimov, who is now resting at home in his native St Petersburg, was quoted as saying by the Russian media. "In any case I will miss the Tour this year.
"It's a pity because I really wanted to ride with Armstrong in his last Tour.
"It also would have been my 15th Tour and I wanted to equal the record for most starts in that race but when you have a spinal injury it must be taken seriously."