Christopher Froome crashes, abandons Stage 5 and the Tour de France

Stage 5 of the Tour de France was expected to be a mess, but no one could have predicted it would take out Christopher Froome, before the cobbles began no less. Froome, the winner of the 2013 Tour de France and the overwhelming favorite to win this year’s Grand Boucle, went down a second and final time just over halfway through the stage. He entered a Team Sky car, effectively abandoning the Tour de France.

The route that began in Belgium before reaching a harrowing stretch of Paris-Roubaix has seen a number of riders go down on a rainy day. The course was adjusted to eliminate nearly 2.5 kilometers worth of cobblestones because of expected bad weather, but slippery roads and a tight peloton meant that danger was ever-present.

Froome joins Mark Cavendish on the sideline, leaving the Tour without perhaps its two biggest names. Cavendish fell just ahead of the finish line during Stage 1, spoiling what was supposed to be a celebration of the well-adorned sprinter from the Isle of Man in front of an adoring British crowd.

Froome’s was relatively less dramatic. It appears he slipped or was clipped on a turn, as had been the case for many others during the stage. His first fall apparently occurred when he hit a road construction sign. The fall presaged a sad end for the British rider.

With Froome out, it’s anybody’s guess who will take the general classification and the Maillot Jaune now. Vincenzo Nibali currently sits atop the standings, but Alberto Contador is also a heavy favorite.