World champion Oscar Freire of Spain has pulled out of the Tour de France after injuring his lower back in a crash during Saturday's seventh stage of the race. The 26-year-old, who rides for the Mapei Quickstep team, did not start the eighth stage from St-Martin-de-Landelles to Plouay over 214 kms today.
Freire won the second stage of the Tour last Monday after recovering from his injuries and was sixth in the points standings. Since his unexpected victory in the 1999 world road championships, a feat he repeated last year, Freire has been restricted by a lingering back problem.
In 1999 he only raced 32 days while in 2000 he managed 10 victories in just 48 days in the saddle. Last year his back pains forced him to stop competing after he finished third in the Milan-San Remo classic. Freire hopes to return for the World Cup races in August.
Filed by James Shortt
