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Cavendish taken to hospital as Demare wins Tour Stage 4

Vittel - British sprint great Mark Cavendish was taken to hospital by ambulance after a spectacular crash in the sprint finish to the Tour de France fourth stage won by France's Arnaud Demare on Tuesday.

Race leader Geraint Thomas was also taken down in a separate crash in the final kilometre of the 207.5km stage from Mondorf-les-Bains to Vittel.

Briton Thomas, who had warned on Monday that he just wanted to stay clear of trouble, hit the deck for the second time in three stages.

"It's ok, both times I managed to take off quite a bit of speed (before crashing)," said Thomas.

"I'm used to crashing, so it's fine, I'm all ok."

His crash came on a bend just inside the final kilometre but Cavendish's fall looked more damaging, just inside the final 100 metres.

Cavendish was baulked by world champion Peter Sagan against the metal barriers on the side of the road and crashed hard, with two riders, including German John Degenkolb, hitting the stricken Briton as they somersaulted over the top of him.

Cavendish did finish the stage but later left his Dimension Data team bus with his arm in a sling as he was taken to hospital by ambulance.

"Mark Cavendish hurt his shoulder and hand. On his way to the hospital for further examinations," said Dimension Data on Twitter.

"If I was Sagan, I'd apologise for that," Cavendish's sports director at Dimension Data Roger Hammond told journalists.

Sagan did go to the Dimension Data bus after the race to speak to Cavendish, who crashed out of the 2014 Tour in the first stage after breaking his collarbone in a sprint finish fall he later admitted was his fault.

While Thomas was able to get up and ride on to the finish, Cavendish had needed medical assistance as he lay on the ground in obvious pain.

In all the furore of another bunch pile-up, French champion Demare's achievement of becoming the first Frenchman to win a Tour stage in a sprint finish since 2006 was almost lost.

His win allowed him to claim the sprinters' green jersey from German Marcel Kittel, winner of Sunday's second stage but who was held up by the first crash and unable to contest the sprint.

Sagan took second place with Norway's Alexander Kristoff third on the stage.

Sagan's time bonus on the line helped him move up to second overall at seven seconds behind Thomas, with reigning champion Chris Froome, who was held up by the first crash, third at 12sec.

Results from the 4th stage of Tour de France, a 207.5km ride from Mondorf-les-Bains to Vittel on Tuesday:

1. Arnaud Démare (FRA/FDJ.fr) 4hr 53min 54sec (average: 42,4 km/h)

2. Alexander Kristoff (NOR) a 0:00.

3. André Greipel (GER) 0:00.

4. Nacer Bouhani (FRA) 0:00.

5. Adrien Petit (FRA) 0:00.

6. Jürgen Roelandts (BEL) 0:00.

7. Michael Matthews (AUS) 0:00.

8. Manuele Mori (ITA) 0:00.

9. Tiesj Benoot (BEL) 0:00.

10. Zdenek Stybar (CZE) 0:00.

11. Edvald Boasson Hagen (NOR) 0:00.

12. Pieter Vanspeybrouck (BEL) 0:00.

13. Marcel Kittel (GER) 0:00.

14. Marcel Sieberg (GER) 0:00.

15. Mike Teunissen (NED) 0:00.

16. Sylvain Chavanel (FRA) 0:00.

17. Oliver Naesen (BEL) 0:00.

18. Davide Cimolai (ITA) 0:00.

19. Grega Bole (SLO) 0:00.

20. Philippe Gilbert (BEL) 0:00.

21. Alexey Lutsenko (KAZ) 0:00.

22. Christopher Froome (GBR) 0:00.

23. Vasil Kiryienka (BLR) 0:00.

24. Patrick Bevin (NZL) 0:00.

25. Jakob Diemer Fuglsang (DEN) 0:00.

26. Fabio Aru (ITA) 0:00.

27. Julien Simon (FRA) 0:00.

28. Nairo Quintana (COL) 0:00.

29. Rafal Majka (POL) 0:00.

30. Michael Schär (SUI) 0:00.

31. Romain Bardet (FRA) 0:00.

32. Pierre-Roger Latour (FRA) 0:00.

33. Cyril Gautier (FRA) 0:00.

34. Nikias Arndt (GER) 0:00.

35. Matthew Hayman (AUS) 0:00.

36. Marco Minnaard (NED) 0:00.

37. Thomas Degand (BEL) 0:00.

38. Daryl Impey (RSA) 0:00.

39. Stefan Kung (SUI) 0:00.

40. Rick Zabel (GER) 0:00.

41. Ramon Sinkeldam (NED) 0:00.

42. Imanol Erviti (ESP) 0:00.

43. Lilian Calmejane (FRA) 0:00.

44. Adam Hansen (AUS) 0:00.

45. Maxime Bouet (FRA) 0:00.

46. Roman Kreuziger (CZE) 0:00.

47. Richie Porte (AUS) 0:00.

48. Danilo Wyss (SUI) 0:00.

49. Rudy Molard (FRA) 0:00.

50. Emanuel Buchmann (GER) 0:00.

51. Serge Pauwels (BEL) 0:00.

52. Diego Ulissi (ITA) 0:00.

53. Yukiya Arashiro (JPN) 0:00.

54. Andrew Talansky (USA) 0:00.

55. Reinardt Janse Van Rensburg (RSA) 0:00.

56. Esteban Chaves (COL) 0:00.

57. Sergio Henao (COL) 0:00.

58. Daniel McLay (GBR) 0:00.

59. Pierre-Luc Perichon (FRA) 0:00.

60. Marco Haller (AUT) 0:00.

61. Roy Curvers (NED) 0:00.

62. Jasha Sütterlin (GER) 0:00.

63. Christian Knees (GER) 0:00.

64. Frederik Backaert (BEL) 0:00.

65. Yoann Offredo (FRA) 0:00.

66. Florian Vachon (FRA) 0:00.

67. Daniele Bennati (ITA) 0:00.

68. Tiago Machado (POR) 0:00.

69. Tim Wellens (BEL) 0:00.

70. Nicolas Roche (IRL) 0:00.

71. Lars Ytting Bak (DEN) 0:00.

72. Damiano Caruso (ITA) 0:00.

73. Sonny Colbrelli (ITA) 0:00.

74. Jens Keukeleire (BEL) 0:00.

75. Simon Yates (GBR) 0:00.

76. Daniel Martin (EIR) 0:00.

77. Alexis Vuillermoz (FRA) 0:00.

78. Brice Feillu (FRA) 0:00.

79. Louis Meintjies (RSA) 0:00.

80. Marco Marcato (ITA) 0:00.

81. Alberto Contador (ESP) 0:00.

82. Warren Barguil (FRA) 0:00.

83. Amaël Moinard (FRA) 0:00.

84. Ben Gastauer (LUX) 0:00.

85. Mathias Frank (SUI) 0:00.

86. Vegard Laengen (NOR) 0:00.

87. Haimar Zubeldia (ESP) 0:00.

88. Eduardo Sepúlveda (ARG) 0:00.

89. Guillaume Martin (FRA) 0:00.

90. Rüdiger Selig (GER) 0:00.

91. Audrey Amador (CRC) 0:00.

92. Tylan van Baarle (NED) 0:00.

93. Jonathan Castroviejo (ESP) 0:00.

94. Carlos Betancour (COL) 0:00.

95. Timo Roosen (NED) 0:00.

96. Greg Van Avermaet (BEL) 0:00.

97. Nicolas Edet (FRA) 0:00.

98. Luis Ángel Maté (ESP) 0:00.

99. George Bennett (NZL) 0:00.

100. Michael Andersen (DEN) 0:00.

101. Christophe Laporte (FRA) 0:00.

102. Michael Gogl (AUT) 0:00.

103. Rigoberto Urán (COL) 0:00.

104. Jan Bakelants (BEL) 0:00.

105. Primož Roglic (SLO) 0:00.

106. Borut Božic (SLO) 0:00.

107. Ben Swift (GBR) 0:00.

108. Laurens ten Dam (NED) 0:00.

109. Nils Politt (GER) 0:00.

110. Michael Albasini (SUI) 0:00.

111. Perrig Quemeneur (FRA) 0:00.

112. Yohann Gene (FRA) 0:00.

113. Thibaut Pinot (FRA) 0:00.

114. Robert Kiserlovski (CRO) 0:00.

115. Maurits Lammertink (NED) 1:53.

116. Arthur Vichot (FRA) 0:00.

117. Andrej Zeits (KAZ) 0:00.

118. Ondrej Cink (CZE) 0:00.

119. Simon Geschke (GER) 0:00.

120. Dario Cataldo (ITA) 0:00.

121. Andriy Grivko (UKR) 0:00.

122. Bauke Mollema (NED) 0:00.

123. Tony Gallopin (FRA) 2:11.

124. Thomas Voeckler (FRA) 2:11.

125. Thomas De Gendt (BEL) 2:11.

126. Dimitri Claeys (BEL) 0:00.

127. José Herrada Lopez (ESP) 0:00.

128. Albert Timmer (NED) 2:15.

129. Angelo Tulik (FRA) 0:00.

130. Jos van Emden (NED) 0:00.

131. Janez Brajkovic (SLO) 0:00.

132. Elie Gesbert (FRA) 0:00.

133. Laurent Pichon (FRA) 0:00.

134. Nathan Brown (USA) 0:00.

135. Ignatas Konovalovas (LTU) 0:00.

136. Romain Sicard (FRA) 0:00.

137. Gianluca Brambilla (ITA) 2:15.

138. Julien Vermote (BEL) 0:00.

139. Reto Hollenstein (SUI) 2:15.

140. Kristijan Durasek (CRO) 0:00.

141. Alberto Bettiol (ITA) 0:00.

142. Darwin Atapuma (COL) 0:00.

143. Dmitriy Gruzdev (KAZ) 2:15.

144. Simon Clarke (AUS) 0:00.

145. Daniel Navarro (ESP) 0:00.

146. Fabio Felline (ITA) 0:00.

147. Taylor Phinney (USA) 0:00.

148. Jarlinson Pantano (COL) 0:00.

149. Thomas Boudat (FRA) 0:00.

150. Marcus Burghardt (GER) 0:00.

151. Michal Kwiatkowski (POL) 0:00.

152. Mikel Landa (ESP) 0:00.

153. Mikel Nieve (ESP) 0:00.

154. Geraint Thomas (GBR) 0:00.

155. Markel Irizar (ESP) 0:00.

156. Koen de Kort (NED) 0:00.

157. John Degenkolb (GER) 0:00.

158. Bernhard Eisel (AUT) 0:00.

159. Tony Martin (GER) 2:56.

160. Matteo Bono (ITA) 2:56.

161. Cyril Lemoine (FRA) 0:00.

162. Florian Sénéchal (FRA) 3:09.

163. Romain Hardy (FRA) 3:12.

164. Robert Gesink (NED) 0:00.

165. Paul Martens (GER) 0:00.

166. Tom Leezer (NED) 0:00.

167. Damien Howson (AUS) 3:12.

168. Jay McCarthy (AUS) 0:00.

169. Alessandro De Marchi (ITA) 0:00.

170. Fabio Sabatini (ITA) 0:00.

171. Axel Domont (FRA) 3:30.

172. Tsgabu Grmay (ETH) 3:30.

173. Javier Moreno (ESP) 3:30.

174. Bakhtiyar Kozhatayev (KAZ) 3:30.

175. Pierre Rolland (FRA) 3:30.

176. Stephen Cummings (GBR) 3:48.

177. Maciej Bodnar (POL) 0:00.

178. Jacopo Guarnieri (ITA) 0:00.

179. Jaco Venter (RSA) 3:57.

180. Mark Renshaw (AUS) 0:00.

181. Mickael Delage (FRA) 3:57.

182. Guillaume Van Keirsbulck (BEL) 3:57.

183. Juraj Sagan (SVK) 3:57.

184. Pawel Poljanski (POL) 3:57.

185. Dylan Groenewegen (NED) 0:00.

186. Mark Cavendish (GBR) 0:00.

187. Scott Thwaites (GBR) 3:57.

188. Luke Rowe (GBR) 3:57.

189. Dion Smith (NZL) 0:00.

190. Jack Bauer (NZL) 0:00.

191. Matteo Trentin (ITA) 0:00.

192. Robert Wagner (GER) 0:00.

193. Andrea Pasqualon (ITA) 0:00.

194. Olivier Le Gac (FRA) 5:22.

. Peter Sagan (SVK) disqualified

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