Daan Hoole breaks finger in crash at Paris-Nice

Daan Hoole made an impression during the first days of Paris-Nice, but things went wrong in the eventful fourth stage. The powerful rider from Decathlon CMA CGM crashed along the way and was unable to continue. After medical examination, it was revealed that Hoole has broken his finger.

After a start marked by echelons, Hoole was in the first group of about forty riders. However, just over one hundred kilometers from the finish, he crashed. He went down alongside Joshua Tarling, Samuel Watson, and Oscar Onley. While the Brits from INEOS Grenadiers were able to continue, Hoole was forced to abandon. Bert Van Lerberghe also had to give up the fight.

The 27-year-old Dutchman did not emerge unscathed from this crash, as several medical examinations at the hospital revealed. "Disappointed, I had to leave Paris-Nice after a heavy crash during a descent. Scans at the hospital showed that I broke my pinky," the unlucky Hoole shared via Instagram.

"I want to thank the medical staff of Decathlon CMA CGM for their amazing care. This also goes for the kind nurses at the hospital. Thank you for the great support. Now the focus is on my recovery. I hope to rejoin my Decathlon-CMA CGM teammates as soon as possible," Hoole concluded.

For Hoole, this is quite a setback, as the South Hollander had been in excellent form this season. In the finale of the second stage of Paris-Nice, he rode solo for kilometers ahead of the peloton, and during Wednesday's team time trial, he also impressed.