With eleven kilometres remaining of the stage yesterday, Martin crashed and ended up on the ground while riding along as part of the main bunch.

Even though he was back in the saddle relatively quickly and subsequently gave chase assisted two team-mates, the pace of the peloton meant that he was unable to bridge the gap before the finish, losing one minute and 33 seconds to the stage winner Zdenek Stybar (Omega Pharma Quick Step) who took the bunch sprint.

Yesterday evening Martin was transferred to a hospital for examination which revealed that he had suffered multiple abrasions to his right side, but also incurred a blow to the head. The latter caused concern for the team doctors who decided to make another assessment this morning prior to the start. In the end the concussion was deemed to serious for Martin to continue.

His enforced withdrawal is a serious blow to Martin’s preparations for the world championships and his aim must now be to recover as swiftly as possible, and then make a decision about the remainder of the season.