In the Tour de France, Mark Cavendish crashed on stage 8, ending his hopes of a record 35th stage win.

Riders are rivals on the road and in sprints, but when another rider crashes and is injured, they share the same risks and suffer. Team staff work incredibly hard to help riders, often spending more time with them than their own families. Sudden crashes and changes in fate hurt all of them.

"It hurts more than yesterday and I didn't think it would happen," said Mark Renshaw, former lead-out for Mark Cavendish and now a sprint consultant, as everyone at Astana Kazakstan was in shock from the crash.

"We finished second yesterday and this happened to Mark today. [Maurizio Mazzoleni was also crying in the team car. Everyone on the team is hurting too.

Team manager Alexander Vinokurov, Astana Kazakstan's team doctor, and other staff went to Perigord to meet Cavendish and get a full picture of the injuries that forced him to withdraw from the Tour de France.

He was seen holding his right shoulder shortly after the crash and noticed the injury and pain when he tried to push down with his right arm.

"I don't want to say too much, but as soon as the exact medical problem is officially press released, we will announce it," Renshaw explained.

"Vino gave him a chance, and who would have thought that Mark would run second in the Tour in January and crash the next day," he added.

"We try to honor Cav with a victory, but it is a big blow and really difficult," he added.

The team confirmed details of Cavendish's injury on Saturday evening, including a fractured right collarbone.

Teammate Gianni Moscon witnessed Cavendish's crash. Someone braked in front of him, others collided with each other, and Cavendish was probably the last to go down.

"We were behind the peloton and right after the first climb of the day there was a crash in front of us," the Italian explained.

"Cav had to accelerate full throttle and when someone changed his line, he hit the rear wheel of the rider in front of him and crashed. It was pretty bad. I stayed with him to see how he was doing, but it was clear he couldn't continue racing."

"He was really suffering. We tried to help him, but he had to abandon.

Many riders in the Tour de France peloton did not know that Cavendish had crashed. At the finish, they looked sad and remorseful.

"It's a real shame. I heard he broke his collarbone in the middle of the stage, and I can't believe he had to go home, especially yesterday when he was so close to winning the stage," said Tadej Pogachar.

"Everyone wanted to see him win one more. Especially since he said this was his last year. I think everybody wanted to see him win one more stage this year."

Mads Pedersen was happy to win the Limoges sprint, but saddened to hear about Cavendish.

"It's very sad that such a legend had to finish the Tour like this," the Lidl-Trek rider said.

"I wish him all the best in what I hope will be his last race to honor a legend who has stopped in the cycling world.

Christian Prudhomme, race director of the Tour de France, spoke on behalf of everyone at the Tour de France.

"It was an emotional day, he was very sad right after the crash," he said, referring to television footage of Cavendish sitting stunned in an ambulance after the crash. [He is the best sprinter in the history of the Tour de France, he was going to win stage 35, and yesterday he was second. Yesterday I thought for a couple of seconds that he was going to succeed in achieving his goal, but today it ended abruptly. [Mark] deserves the respect of the Tour. He will always be welcome, bike or no bike."

.