Tour de France rider suffers broken neck after collision with fan

A Tour de France rider suffered a broken neck after colliding with a fan standing at the edge of the road forcing him to quit the race.

Italian Daniel Oss was forced to withdraw after scans revealed the 35-year-old had suffered a fractured cervical vertebra - one of the vertebrae in your neck that make up your spine.

Oss's team Total Energies said on Twitter: "Additional examinations revealed a fracture of a cervical vertebra requiring immobilisation for a few weeks.

A clip of the video is shown below or can be seen here on Twitter.

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"Daniel Oss is therefore forced to leave the Tour de France."

During a clip circulated on Twitter, Oss could be seen cycling close to the edge of a cobbled road near the cheering spectators when he collided with a bystander and flew onto the floor.

Another rider was also taken out in the crash and flew over Oss when the collision happened.

Australian Michael Gogl suffered a broken collarbone and pelvis and required surgery at a hospital in Belgium.

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Oss managed to get back on his bike and complete the stage.

The stage was between Lille and Arenberg and features numerous cobbled roads and other difficult terrain.

Another rider, Jack Haig, also had to withdraw from the race after suffering an unrelated injury during the stage.

The decision to include cobbled roads on the Tour de France route has been criticised by many professional cyclists.

Chris Froome said the inclusion of the roads added "huge risks" to the riders.

Former Tour de France winner and Eurosport expert Sir Bradley Wiggins said: "As much of a spectacle as the cobbled stages are to the viewers and to us we see the carnage it causes and we see the damage it does to people who prepare for this race all year long."

Speaking on his podcast he asked if such stages were necessary.