Injured Andy Schleck out of Tour de France

[July 08, 2014]   LILLE France (Reuters) - 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 Contdor was stripped of the title for doping, has been struggling since sustaining a hip injury the 2012 Criterium du Dauphine.

(Reporting by Julien Pretot; Editing by Amlan Chakraborty)

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