Ecuadorian Richard Carapaz and Spaniard Enric Mas pulled out of the Tour de France after a crash on Saturday's opening stage ruled out both podium contenders.
EF-Education team leader Carapaz and Mas, of the Movistar Team, were involved in the same accident line in the descent of Alto del Vivero, the penultimate hill of the day.
Grimacing with pain, Carapaz, the 2019 Giro d'Italia winner, got back on his bicycle with a bloodied knee but finished more than a quarter of an hour behind British stage winner Adam Yates.
Tests revealed "a small fracture" to his left kneecap which also required stitches with his team confirming his withdrawal.
Olympic champion Carapaz, 30, was third overall in the 2021 Tour de France.
Mas, 28, could not complete the stage after he "took severe blow to his right shoulder". He quit in "severe pain", which was later confirmed to be from a fracture.
obo/hpa/ea/pb
