OUT OF THE RACE

I suspected some folks would abandon - and five riders already have over the prior six stages. But today might see some sprinters and others who were in crashes leave the 2011 Tour de France. That's based on the casual way in which Tom Boonen just got into the team car at 124KM to go and gave up on this year's race.

This post will list other abandons in today's stage 7 and where they gave up or were bounced out.

84KM to go and there's been one crash - but hardly of note. Best thing I saw in that crash was a following rider who leaned over while going about 20MPH and picked up someone's sunglasses right off the road. Crazy skill.

At the 78KM to go point, there are still four riders off the front by about five minutes.

Hey, if you've got the NBC All-Access pass, can you tell me if it just gives you the same broadcasts we get or if it's ALL of the Eurosport feed with FULL - I mean EVERY pedal stroke - coverage of the Tour?

48KM to go and there are five or six riders down. Waiting to see who and what happened. Radio Shack team has someone in there. So does Astana. OK. Doesn't look like any remained behind. Popovych from Radio Shack went down in that crash. They're chasing now.

Massive pileup of riders at the 37KM to go. There are easily a dozen riders in the crash. Bradley Wiggins his holding his arm. Collarbone looks broken - I've broken mine twice and know the look. Wiggins is down in the grass. Looks like he's going to abandon. Yup. He's out. Wiggins is out of the race.

Also in that crash, Remi Pauriol is down and doctors are working on him. Will have an update on that. A lot of big names caught in that crash including Chris Horner.

31KM to go and the race is a mess. Four riders off the front by two minutes. The peloton, a second peleton at 2:21 or more. And then a medium group of crashers off the back by 5:16.

Next post will have the stage wrap-up.