Team Astana's Chris Horner fractured his left hand in the high-speed massive crash in stage 4 of the 2009 Vuelta a Espana / Tour of Spain.  Besides the non-displaced fracture of the left metacarpal IV, Horner was further diagnosed with a hematoma of the right hip and a deep cut in the upper lip in the Citadelle Hospital of Liège.

Horner is unable to continue racing in the Tour of Spain and returns to the United States on Wednesday morning. Earlier in the season he fractured his collar bone and a rib in the Tour of the Basque Country (on April 9) and his left leg in the Tour of Italy (on May 19).

In addition to Horner, Team Astana riders Assan Bazayev and Alexandr Vinokourov were involved in the crash. A cut in Vinokourov’s left elbow had to be stitched with five sutures. He further suffered scars and bruises upon the left hip but will be able to start in the fifth Vuelta stage from Tarragona to Vinaròs on Thursday. Wednesday is a Vuelta rest day.