BAETTERKINDEN, Switzerland, 16 June 2004 — Australian Robbie McEwen claimed his second stage success of this year’s Tour of Switzerland yesterday after winning a bunch sprint to the finish.
But the day was marred by an accident involving Swiss rider Markus Zberg who plunged 50 meters down a ravine 60 kms into the 211.6-km stage.
Swiss media reported that Zberg had a broken neck but a spokesman for his Gerolsteiner team said they had not yet received confirmation of his injuries. Race organizers said he had suffered dislocated cervical vertebrae.
Zberg was taken by helicopter to hospital after the fall, which also put his teammate German Robert Forster out of the race with a shoulder injury.
Jan Ullrich, 34th on the stage, held on to his overall lead of two seconds over Swiss rider Oscar Camenzind. T-Mobile’s Ullrich is using the Tour as his final preparations for the Tour de France.
