Louis Meintjes has been forced to withdraw from the Amgen Tour of California after sustaining a wrist fracture in a crash in the finale of the stage four finish in Morro Bay.
The incident happened with just over 3km remaining, and saw a number of key general classification riders affected including race leader Tejay van Garderen (EF).
The 27 year-old bravely completed the stage in obvious discomfort and was immediately seen to by our medical team at the finish, after which he was taken to a local hospital for further investigation. He will now travel to Hamburg for further treatment by a specialist hand surgeon.
Meintjes had only recently returned to racing at the Tour de Romandie after a lengthy spell on the sidelines following a groin injury sustained in a crash at Paris-Nice.
He had shown some strong form in California, being placed just outside the top-20 on the general classification with the queen stage, the finish at Mt. Baldy, still to come.
An update on his health will be provided in due course.
