Nacer Bouhanni out of Tour de France after crash in stage five

Nacer Bouhanni has withdrawn from the Tour de France following a crash on stage five.

The Cofidis sprinter was viewed as one of the main challengers for the green points jersey after overcoming a rib injury sustained in a crash in the French national road race.

But Bouhanni suffered more misfortune on the 189.5-kilometre route from Arras to Amiens Metropole on Wednesday as he was involved in a crash in the peloton involving multiple Cofidis riders after 12km.

All of the other riders involved were able to get back on their bikes, but Bouhanni was taken away by ambulance as his Tour was brought to an early end.

Cofidis manager Yvon Sanquer told the Tour's official website: "He [Bouhanni] was taken to hospital in Arras. At first sight, there is nothing alarming but the X-rays will tell us more.

"He suffers from the ribs, the hips, the wrist, more or less the same problems he had after the French championship. He is also stunned and dejected by this abandon, his second on the Tour after a crash.

"It's an enormous disappointment because we were tackling three stages that suited him. Now the team will try to remotivate. We are not going to spend two and a half weeks in mourning."