Scary crash in Stage 9 takes out Tour de France contender Richie Porte

The man whom Chris Froome called the favorite to win the Tour de France has been knocked out of the race in an ugly crash during a descent in Stage 9.

The wet conditions of Stage 9 led to a number of crashes, but the most notable occurred during a descent on a narrow and winding road in which Australian Richie Porte (red jersey) momentarily went off the road and then took out Ireland's Dan Martin (blue jersey) when he tried to recover.

Porte, who entered the stage fifth in the standings, was clearly in a lot of pain and was unable to continue. Medical staff members placed Porte in a neck brace before taking him to a local hospital.

Martin was able to continue.

This is a developing story.

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