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Injury forces Tony Martin to withdraw from Tour de France

The German world time trial champion has chosen to rest his wrist in a bid to be fit for the Olympics.

WORLD TIME TRIAL champion Tony Martin has quit the Tour de France to prepare for the London Olympics.

The German had been battling a fracture scaphoid and has chosen to rest the bone in his wrist, hoping to be ready for the Games, targeting the road cycling time trial on August 1.

Martin suffered the fracture in a crash on stage one but battled on before withdrawing after Monday’s ninth stage time trial.

In a statement released by his team Omega Pharma-Quick-Step on Tuesday, Martin said: “It’s difficult for me to step out of the Tour and leave my team-mates here to keep on fighting.

“But it’s the right thing to do now and I know that even the guys will understand.

I will go home and I will try to recover as much as I can. I don’t want things to get even worse going into the mountains. I cannot imagine sitting in the back of the peloton suffering every day a little bit more as I did during this week.

“I really tried, I put a lot of energy together with the team to arrive until today, but now it’s time to think about my complete recovery.

“I have still three weeks before the Olympics. I know that it won’t be easy, but I will do all my best to be in good shape for the Olympics.”

Martin becomes the 21st rider to withdraw from the prestigious race, reducing the field to 177 riders.

Omega Pharma-Quick-Step doctor Helge Riepenhof said it was important Martin withdrew in order to avoid any further injuries.

“Tony’s impressive performance in the last days, going through all the pain and still fighting to be able to compete in the individual time trial, shows what kind of character he has,” he said.

“But from the medical point of view, it is now time to give the scaphoid fracture a chance to heal.

“We also have to avoid further issues to his body because of being limited in his movement while wearing a brace.

“This is the only possible decision to be able to perform at the London Olympics without damaging structures such as the lower back or knees.”

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