Lance Armstrong crashed in Spain Race

Lance Armstrong, the seven-time winner of the Tour de France, crashed hard on Monday during the first stage of a five-day race in Spain and might have injured his right collarbone.A serious injury may jeopardize Armstrong's plans to ride in the Giro d'Italia in May. It would also hinder his training for the Tour de France, in July.

Armstrong and at least a dozen other riders tumbled from their bikes during the opening stage of the Vuelta a Castilla y Leon. Afterward, Armstrong was seen clutching his right shoulder on the roadside. Philippe Maertens, a spokesman for Armstrong's Team Astana, said Armstrong had been taken to a nearby hospital by ambulance.

The race was Armstrong's second competition in Europe after coming back from a three-and-a-half-year break from the sport. He raced in the one-day Milan-San Remo on Saturday, finishing 125th. He also raced in the Tour Down Under in Australia in January, finishing 64th, and the Tour of California last month, finishing 7th.

But this race was more than just any stage race. It was Armstrong's first competition alongside his teammate Alberto Contador, the winner of the 2007 Tour, as the two men vie to be the lead rider come the Tour de France.

Armstrong's injury, if severe enough, could answer the question of which rider will be the team's No. 1 at the Tour. A broken collarbone could be a serious injury if it goes beyond a simple fracture.

Team Garmin-Slipstream's David Millar, the former world time trial champion, broke his collarbone during the final stage of the Paris-Nice race. His joint had been broken in at least two pieces and the ligament had been torn off the bone.

Millar will be out for at least four weeks after having surgery on the collarbone last Thursday. He said he would resume training indoors as early as next week.

Source: New York Times