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Columbia's Michael Rogers has no broken bones, will start Friday, his team says.

Published: Jul. 9, 2009

Australian Michael Rogers was among the big name riders who crashed on the rain-hit sixth stage of the Tour de France on Thursday.

Rogers, riding for the Columbia team, appeared to take down Cervelo sprinter Heinrich Haussler and American David Zabriskie of Garmin as the peloton negotiated a roundabout.

The Australian, who finished ninth overall in 2006 but had to abandon after a serious crash on the eighth stage in 2007, was later taken to hospital for X-rays complaining of a sore elbow.

A team spokesman later told AFP that Rogers had broken no bones and was scheduled to start Friday's seventh stage, the first day of three consecutive days in the Pyrenees mountains.

Defending yellow jersey champion Carlos Sastre of Spain was the first rider to hit the tarmac, the Cervelo rider coming down after just 10 minutes after the start in Girona.

He was eventually brought back into the race, apparently unhurt, by his teammates, who finished the day celebrating their first Tour de France victory after Norwegian Thor Hushovd won a sprint to the finish line.

Later in the race Belgian's Tom Boonen, of Quick Step, got up limping and in apparent pain after he crashed with another rider as they chased down David Millar's breakaway in the closing kilometers.

In all 21 injured riders appeared on the official medical report after the stage, most with scrapes and bumps which should allow them to start Friday's 224km monster stage in the Pyrenees mountains.