Stuart O'Grady a Mess

Again, according to Versus' newsflash, Stuart O'Grady, the CSC rider who crashed in stage eight and was taken to hospital in an ambulance, received several visitors yesterday. His brother, Darren, is in France and working as a host for guests of the CSC team during the Tour. He saw Stuart yesterday and said that, despite the injuries, he was in good spirits. "His legs and head are good," said Darren O'Grady, "even if the rest of his body is a mess.

"He has five broken ribs and has had a lot of treatment from the medical staff, but we managed to get a smile from him before we left."

The injuries are enough for most riders to consider ending their season but O'Grady told his brother: "I've got about seven weeks to get better, so I've told the team: sign me up for the Vuelta a Espana! I'm not wasting the good form I've got... a few broken ribs shouldn't slow me down for too long."