BALTANAS, Spain - Lance Armstrong was taken to a hospital Monday with a possible broken collarbone after falling during the first stage of the five-day Vuelta of Castilla and Leon race.
Armstrong fell in a rider pile-up about 20 kilometres from the stage's finish. The seven-time Tour de France champion is making a comeback to cycling and is riding with the Astana team in the Castilla and Leon race.
Astana teammate Levi Leipheimer said on his Twitter web feed that Armstrong may have broken his collarbone.
"Lance crashed and is out," Leipheimer wrote. "Possible broken collarbone."
Spokesman Philippe Maertens said Armstrong was taken to a hospital by ambulance, and race organizers said the American was being transferred to Valladolid University Hospital after initially being taken to the Rio Carrion hospital in Palencia.
Armstrong, who had not raced in Spain for five years, entered the ambulance trying to hold his right arm still and grimacing in pain.
The mainly flat first stage of 176 kilometres between Paredes de Nava and Baltanas was won by Joaquin Sobrino Martinez of Burgos Monumental in four hours 31 minutes 53 seconds after a sprint finish, ahead of David Vitoria of Rock Racing and Jose Joaquin Rojas of Caisse d'Epargne.
