The recent winner of the Tour de Vendee, Euskaltel's Koldo Fernandez, had high hopes for victory in today's Paris-Bourges. However, he never got a chance to make it to the final 200 meters to even attempt a sprint for victory.
The 29 year old Basque came to grief in a crash during the race and lost all hope of a first victory at the French semi-classic. Euskaltel put in an impressive show of force at the front in hopes of taking advantage of the fastman's solid late season form, but at the end of the day, this year's winner of the first stage of the Vuelta a Burgos ended up in the hospital in Bourges, instead of on the podium.
The doctor's findings in Bourges were not pleasant according to Biciciclismo: a fractured right cheekbone, fractured left clavicle, three lost teeth, as well as, unsurprisingly, bruises over most of his body. The extent of the injuries were such that doctors opted to keep the sprinter at the hospital overnight, before allowing him to head home and begin the rebuilding process.