BALTANAS, Spain – Lance Armstrong fractured his collarbone Monday during a race in Spain, leaving in question his participation in the Tour de France in July. The seven-time Tour champion said he will fly to the United States and meet with medical experts to decide whether he needs surgery. "We'll go from there," he said. "I think for the Tour it's a very big problem."
In a statement released later Monday, the 37-year-old said he had "been lucky to avoid one of the most common cycling injuries" in his 17-year career.
"The crash has put my upcoming calendar in jeopardy, but the most important thing for me right now is to get back home and rest up and begin my rehab," Armstrong said.
Armstrong is scheduled to compete in the Giro d'Italia from May 9-May 31. The Tour runs July 4-26.
He was knocked off his bike during a pileup in the first stage of the Vuelta of Castilla and Leon race and was taken to a hospital by ambulance. The American, who crashed about 12.5 miles from the stage's finish, was grimacing and trying to hold his right arm as he entered the ambulance.
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