First time Grand Tour racer Chris Butler had his Giro d’ Italia come to an end Saturday when the BMC Racing Team rider was diagnosed with a hairline fracture of his right pelvic bone.

Team BMC issued a press release regarding Butler’s injury.

Butler crashed on Monday’s third stage, but did not learn the full extent of the injury until X-rays were taken after he finished Saturday’s 217-kilometer race. BMC Racing Team Chief Medical Officer Dr. Max Testa said Butler did not want to stop. “But it would be worse if he crashes again, and, because of the pain, he was riding completely twisted,” Testa said. “We’ll keep him off the bike for a few days, then put him on a rehabilitation program and hopefully he’ll be back in a few weeks.”

The crash that ultimately ended his Giro came the feed zone of stage 3. Not helping the situation, Butler came to grief again in stage 5.

In his exclusive report to Carolina Cycling News, Butler described his stage 5 crash.

“Richie Porte (Saxo Bank) ate shit in front of me and took me down on the descent.”

Looking at video of this accident it looked significant and Butler didn’t pop back up, which cyclists often do after a crash. Instead he was on the ground and then gingerly rose off the tarmac. I know Giro viewers around the world held their collective breath as the death of Leopard-Trek’s Wouter Weylandt was still on everyone’s mind.

Obviously Butler’s injury takes him off the US Pro Cycling championships being held in his hometown of Greenville, South Carolina. With an aggressive rehabilitation program could Butler rebound and get another chance at a Grand Tour – the Vuelta a España?

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