Cycling: Martin to compete despite injury
World time-trial champion Tony Martin was planning to start the second stage of the Tour de France despite suffering a fractured hand on the opening road stage.
After sustaining a fractured scaphoid, the German is set to wear a plastic cast on his left hand for the 207.5-kilometres second stage from Vise to Tournai, which appears likely to end in a sprint finish.
The injury could yet have implications on Martin's hopes of Olympic time-trial success on August 1, when Britain's Bradley Wiggins, second at the World Championships last September, will also be targeting glory.
"We will take it step by step, kilometre by kilometre," Martin said on the team's official website, www.omegapharma-quickstep.com.
"The first objective is to try and arrive to the next time-trial on next Monday.
"I know it won't be easy, it will be painful, but I really want to try.
"The Tour de France is really important for me and I don't want to give up without trying."
Martin's team-mate Jerome Pineau will also start after an X-ray showed no serious damage following a crash on stage one.
"I have pain on my right shoulder and my arm," Pineau said. "It won't be easy to ride my bike, but I am confident this morning [Monday] it is already better than last night [Sunday]."