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Peter Velits of HTC-Columbia has crashed𒆙 out of the Critérium du Dauphiné, jeopardising his chances for this year's ꧟Tour de France. .

25 year-old Velits♔ finished second in the race's first stage but crashed at high-speed during the sprint finish of  Tuesday's second stage to Bourg-Saint-Andeol. He crossed the finish line before heading off to hospital for x-rays, which confirmed the fracture. It is not yet known if he will need suಞrgery.

Earlier this week HTC-Columbia issued its long list of riders for this year's Tour de France, including Velits. However he probably now has little chance of r🍷ecovering in time to be at the start of the Tour in Rotterdam on July 3.

"At the end of May, he fell in the Tour of Bavaria and broke a little bone🐻 in his wrist, enough to cause him to withdraw," HTC-Columbia directeur sportif Alan Peiper told AFP."Eve🎀n if he was fit again for the start of the Tour, he would be lacking in race practice."

Velits was U-23 World road champion in 2007. He and twin brother Martin rode for Team Milram from 2008 and 2009 before joining HTC-Columbia this year.