Image 1 of 7 Alberto Contador (Tinkoff Saxo) abandons stage 10 after a crash (Image credit: Stephen Farrand) Image 2 of 7 Alberto Contador (Tinkoff Saxo) abandons stage 10 after a crash (Image credit: AFP Photo) Image 3 of 7 Alberto Contador (Tinkoff-Saxo) heads to the medical station after his stage 10 crash (Image credit: Stephen Farrand) Image 4 of 7 Team staff help Alberto Contador (Tinkoff-Saxo) down the stairs from the medical station following his stage 10 crash (Image credit: Stephen Farrand) Image 5 of 7 Alberto Contador emerges from the medical station with a leg brace after his stage 10 crash (Image credit: Stephen Farrand) Image 6 of 7 Alberto Contador (Tinkoff-Saxo) (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com) Image 7 of 7 Vincenzo NIbali (Astana) marks Alberto Contador (Tinkoff-Saxo) on the final climb of stage 8 (Image credit: Bettini Photo)

Tinkoff-Saxo's Alberto Contador has been left with a fractured tibia after his fall in the Tour de France during stage 10 on Monday. The Spanish climber crashed midway through the stage and despite continuing was forced to abandon.

He was taken to the finish where he was given x-rays by the Tour’s medical staff. Team boss Bjarne Riis confirmed to the press that Contador had suffered a fracture to his right tibia and that he would undergo an operation.

"Alberto has a broken tibia. It's not a bad fracture but he needs surgery," Riis told a small group of journalists at the Tinkoff-Saxo bus.

"He's in a lot of pain and is getting stitches," Riis said minutes after seeing Contador in the x-ray truck.

"Mentally he's destroyed, of course. He was in the shape of his life. This was his Tour. It's a mess. We were here to win the Tour de France. He's in super good condition, never better. It's a big, big pity."

Riis explained what happened with regards to Contador’s crashes. There were several vague early reports at the time.

"He was going fast on the downhill at about 60 or 70km/h. It was a bumpy road and he lost control of he bike. Maybe he was eating."

"He told me immediately that he thought it would be difficult to continue but he tried. Then he had a lot of pain. I could see that he couldn't pedal after the descent and after that there was nothing to do."

"He said: 'What should I do?' And I said: 'Alberto, take your own decision because you have the pain.' Then he stopped because there was too much pain."