Freire out of Tour de France after crash

Reigning world road cycling champion Oscar Freire has pulled out of the Tour de France, following a crash on Saturday.

The Spaniard fell into a ditch on the seventh stage and hurt his back. He didn't break any bones, but cannot sit down.

The Mapei rider won the second stage between Luxembourg and Sarrebruck.

He said: "I didn't sleep well last night and I had a good bit of pain in my back.

"I decided it was probably better not to take the start today," he added.

Sunday's eighth stage is a 217-kilometre ride from Saint-Martin-de-Landelles to Plouay, in Brittany.