Lotto Soudal will be without Philippe Gilbert and John Degenkolb as the Tour de France resumes Sunday with the second stage in Nice. Gilbert fractured his kneecap in a crash, and Degenkolb crashed on Saturday's opening stage, missing out on a time reduction.

Gilbert managed to complete the first stage and was taken to the hospital, but early Sunday morning Lotto Soudal confirmed that the Belgian veteran could not continue due to his injury.

"I was running around 20th in the peloton when I was crashed in front of. I managed to escape from that crash. I passed a couple of guys who crashed and I thought I was OK, but then I crashed again and this time I couldn't avoid it anymore," Gilbert said in a press release.

"I was lying there with 10 to 15 other racers. 'I tried to get up right away, but I couldn't. I leaned against the guardrail and waited for about two minutes. Then I left the scene alone, unable to pedal."

"I managed to finish in a small group of fallen riders, unable to help the others. It was painful; a pain I recognized from 2018," Gilbert said, recalling a fall on the descent of the Porte d'Aspère pass on stage 16 of that year's Tour, where he fractured the patella of the same left knee.

"Is it the same fracture as two years ago, or is it a new one?" said Gilbert. 'They did an ultrasound and diagnosed a new fracture there. The good news is that it is a fracture without any displacement. First, they were concerned about tendon and ligament issues.

"The doctors at the hospital took time out for us and stayed with us until 11 pm. It could have been worse," he said.

"It's unfortunate for us," Gilbert added on behalf of him and Degenkolb. We are both riders who love our sport and our work. We always respect the race, the team, and our sponsors. We always fight and we share the same values. I have a lot of respect for John, who after a bad crash, rode 65km by himself and finished two minutes over the time limit.

"John gave it his all, but had zero respect from the commissaires. In the rain and the crash, at least he deserved to stay in the results. It is very unacceptable," Gilbert said.