Misfortune struck the Movistar Team during the 2nd stage of the 2013 Eneco Tour, held on Tuesday over 177km from Ardooie to Brussels, with Britain's Alex Dowsett crashing out of the race 44km into the day's route, both hands receiving the impact. Dowsett still got back to the bunch before feeling massive pain that ultimately forced him to withdraw.

Preliminary checks on the Essex rider seemed to rule out any fractures, but still revealed dislocations in both thumbs, as well as several bruises. This crash is a huge setback for Dowsett, brilliant winner of the long ITT in the Giro d'Italia and crowned triple national TT champion last June, with his sights until today put on the 13km time trial of Sittard-Geleen scheduled for stage five.

The day's racing saw another Movistar Team reference dropping out of contention, with Pablo Lastras having a puncture with four kilometres remaining. This way, only three Blue riders -Rojas (15th), Ventoso and Madrazo- made the front group into the uphill finish, won by Frenchman Arnaud Démare (Fdj), who grabbed the leader's jersey.