2012 Olympic silver medalist Tony Martin rides on with a little less skin in the Tour de France after being briefly knocked unconscious after a crash seven days ago.
A picture was posted of the German, runner-up to Bradley Wiggins in the London time trial, and went viral overnight Friday to Saturday. He suffered a bruised lung, among other injuries, on that opening stage crash on June 29.
Leading German sports newspaper Bild ran the photo (WARNING: Graphic) with a headline translated to, “The wounds Tony travels the Tour with.”
Martin needs two helpers to get his jersey off after each stage and can’t sleep on his back, according to Bild.
Martin is likely soldiering on with his eye on the individual time trial on Wednesday, especially because three of the world’s best time trial riders won’t be competing.
2012 Olympic champ Wiggins skipped the Tour due to injury, 2008 Olympic champ Fabian Cancellara is out to focus on September’s world championships, and the reigning world silver medalist, American Taylor Phinney, was not selected for BMC’s Tour de France roster.
Martin is the two-time reigning world time trial champion.