Tour de France champ Wiggins hurt in crash

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ECCLESTON, England, Nov. 7 (UPI) -- Tour de France cycling champion Bradley Wiggins was hospitalized Wednesday after his bike collided with a car on a road near his home in England, police said.

A police spokesman confirmed authorities responded to a crash involving Wiggins, the reigning Tour de France champion and multiple Olympic gold medalist, and a car in Eccleston, the Lancashire Evening Post reported.

The newspaper said police refused to release many details, but a witness indicated the 32-year-old champion may have sustained several broken ribs along with hand and wrist injuries.

The police report said the accident happened Wednesday evening when a white Vauxhall Astra collided with Wiggins while it was pulling away from a gas station.

The cyclist was in "a lot of pain," Garage attendant Yasmin Smith told the Post. "He said he thought he had broken his ribs and while a lot of police cars arrived it was about 15 minutes before the ambulance got there by which time he was blue."

Sky News reported a Lancashire police spokesman said Wiggins' injuries were "not thought to be life-threatening."

The Sun reported Wiggins was in stable condition with severe bruising and injuries to his ribs.

Truck driver Barry Blacklidge, 46, told the British tabloid he saw a bicycle with its front wheel "all buckled."

He said an ambulance showed up "and they treated him for a while."

"He was up and walking around, but apparently he wasn't too good," Blacklidge said.