Jürgen Van den Broeck won't appear at the start of the sixth stage of the Tour de France.

The consequences of his crash in the final phase of yesterday's stage are so serious that continuing the Tour isn't an option. Despite the efforts of the medical staff of Lotto Belisol yesterday after the finish and in the hotel this morning Van den Broeck won't be able to start.

Said team doctor Jan Mathieu: "Immediately after yesterday's stage we have covered the first aid; then it was already clear that there was a serious swelling and bruise, but we hoped he would be able to start. All night we have treated the knee with ice, painkilling and tried to mobilize the knee. During the night we gave him a compress. This morning it seemed there was much fluid in the knee. We've drawn 85 cc fluid from his knee, which indicates that he has an interior injury. Jürgen has tried to train on the rolls, but that didn't make a difference. Further tests in Belgium will have to give clarity about the seriousness of the situation."

Manager Marc Sergeant added: "This is of course a drama for our team. Jürgen works towards this main goal and for the second time in three years he has to abandon because of a crash. We often hear before the start if it is possible to come to the Tour with two leaders. Our goal to win stages with André Greipel stays of course intact. Apart from that other guys will get the chance to show themselves. After further tests and depending on the seriousness of the injury we'll decide about Jürgen’s programme for the rest of the season."