When showers drenched the start town of Dunkirk hours before stage 2 of the 2007 Tour de France began, riders’ thoughts immediately turned to the possibility of a crash on what was likely to be a second field sprint in two days. However, once the rain subsided in the hour leading into the stage, everyone’s nerves settled down for the start.

“It looked like it was going to come down to a Belgian classic,” said American Chris Horner of Predictor-Lotto. “I thought for sure three or four GC guys were going to lose any chance of winning the Tour on a day like today.”

Instead, a break of three riders went up the road, and the CSC squad of race leader Fabian Cancellara kept the gap under six minutes. The Belgian rains picked up again in the final hour as the peloton approached Ghent, but again the wet conditions kept any would-be aggressors in check.

“In the final it started raining, we had the crosswinds, you couldn’t see, you couldn’t brake — dangerous scenario,” Horner said. “Then it dried up before the finish and I thought, ‘Oh man, this is great. We’re going to go into the finish nice and safe.’”

However, with 2.5km remaining, a Milram rider clipped wheels with another rider and pulled his foot out of his pedal to right himself. The movement caused a chain reaction; Discovery’s Tomas Vaitkus tried to make it through the carnage, but instead clipped a barrier and hit the deck hard. The yellow jersey, Cancellara, also crashed, as did Crédit Agricole’s Thor Hushovd and American Freddie Rodriguez (Predictor-Lotto).

After Quick Step’s Gert Steegmans won the stage ahead of his teammate and Belgian compatriot Tom Boonen, victims of the pileup began rolling in slowly, all, under UCI rules, were to be given the same time as the leaders, as the crash occurred within the final 3km.

As a human shadow for GC contender Cadel Evans, Horner was well behind the crash, having eased off once the group had passed through the 3km remaining sign.

Horner’s teammate Rodriguez was less fortunate. He landed hard on his left side and came across the finish with only his right hand on the handlebar, as did Cancellara. Vaitkus was in tears as he rolled up to the Discovery Channel bus holding his right arm to his torso.

Hincapie rolled through with a gash to his right knee, visibly shaken. “I couldn’t move my knee at first, but when I pedaled to the finish I think it got better,” he said. “It felt a lot worse when I first hit. There wasn’t anything I could do anyway.”

According to Discovery spokesman P.J. Rabice, Vaitkus was diagnosed with "five unstable fractures of the right thumb, which will require surgery, including a plate. Vaitkus is expected to have surgery this evening and will not start (Tuesday's) third stage."

Hincapie's injuries were described as "minor," including a slight contusion and scrapes. He will be back in the peloton on Tuesday to continue in his 13th Tour.