Cavendish hopes hang in balance in dramatic conclusion to first day of Tour de France
Mark Cavendish's dreams of the yellow jersey ended in a heap as the Manxman tumbled to the tarmac and was taken to hospital after a dramatic conclusion to the opening stage of the 101st Tour de France in Harrogate.
Cavendish separated the acromioclavicular (AC) joint between his right shoulder and collarbone when he tumbled to the tarmac after colliding with Orica GreenEdge rival Simon Gerrans a little over 200 metres from the line.
After Cavendish tumbled to the tarmac, Marcel Kittel raced away to win the opening stage of the Tour for a second year running.
The 29-year-old had an MRI scan on the injury on Saturday night and planned to make a decision on Sunday morning as to whether to continue in the Tour with his Omega Pharma-QuickStep team.
He was left prone on the ground clutching his shoulder after colliding with another rider in the final yards. The Isle of Man rider was able to pedal across the line, but was wincing and clearly in pain.
ITV News correspondent Damon Green reports:
Cavendish said:
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry looked shocked on the finish line when the commentator described Cavendish's crash.
The royal party clapped the riders as they crossed the line and looked down the course for the stricken sprinter.
Earlier, more than a million people lined the streets of Yorkshire amid jubilant scenes as the Tour de France came across the Channel for the first time since 2007.
The riders were given a royal send-off by the Duke and Duchess and Prince Harry as the world's best cyclists descended on Leeds for the Grand Depart of the 101st Tour de France.
Crowds of cycling fans flocked from all over the country to Yorkshire to get a glimpse of the 198 racers passing through the county's striking scenery.
Two spectators were also injured as the action unfolded.
Police said a teenage boy was in a stable condition after he was airlifted to hospital with leg injuries after what police described as "a team vehicle which formed part of Tour de France convoy" hit the youngster.
Meanwhile a woman was also flown to hospital with head injuries after falling through a roof while watching the race. Her injuries were not thought to be serious.