Defending champion Chris Froome crashed during the fourth stage of the Tour de France on Tuesday, sustaining bruises and a possible wrist injury, but his Team Sky boss said he was OK. The Briton fell off his bike five kilometres into the 163.5-km ride from Le Touquet but quickly got back after bruising his left hip, shoulder, knee and elbow.

“It’s alright, it’s alright. We got really scared because it was a heavy fall but he seems to be OK. He says it’s OK,” said Team Sky sports director Nicolas Portal.

Froome, fifth overall and two seconds behind Italian Vincenzo Nibali, crashed on the same side during last month’s Criterium du Dauphine.

After Tuesday’s incident, he received treatment from race doctor Florence Pommerie and was being helped back into the peloton by his Sky team mates.“He’s got bruises on his left side. He must be hurting a little,” said Pommerie.“His wrist is also hurting,” she added.

Unlike his wins in Stages 1 and 3, when he made victory look easy, Marcel Kittel eked out victory by a half-wheel length at the end of the ride from Le Touquet-Paris Plage to Lille Metropole. Kittel, of the Giant-Shimano team, didn’t celebrate this time but panted and, instead, it was runner-up Alexander Kristoff of Norway who swatted the air in frustration after being pipped at the line by the barreling German. French rider Arnaud Demare was third.

SCHLECK OUT

Former champion Andy Schleck of Luxemburg has pulled out of the Tour de France following a crash in the third stage, his Trek team said on Tuesday.“We are sad to announce that Andy Schleck cannot take the start … today. The ligaments and meniscus in the right knee are too severely damaged from his crash in yesterday’s final,” the team said.“He will travel to Basel now for examination and a possible operation.”

Schleck, who won the 2010 Tour after Spain’s Alberto Contedor was stripped of the title for doping, has been struggling since sustaining a hip injury the 2012 Criterium du Dauphine.k