Cattle grid causes Katusha rider to crash out of Tour de Yorkshire after just 500m

Sven Erik Bystrøm comes a cropper on a cattle grid just 500m into stage one of the Tour de Yorkshire

Sven Erik Bystrøm (Katusha) didn't have long to enjoy his Tour de Yorkshire experience; crashing out of the race after just 500m in a nasty-looking fall involving a cattle grid.

The metal grids are tricky enough to get over safely in good weather, let alone when the rain is lashing down like it was on the start line in Berverley.

Bystrøm required the attention of an ambulance that was following the peloton after hitting his face quite hard, although it's not clear if he slipped on the grid or got his wheel caught in it.

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Riders have been battered by wind and heavy rain most of the way through the 184km route from Beverley to Settle, with more bad weather forecast for the rest of the weekend.

Katusha are led in Yorkshire by new signing Jurgen Van den Broeck - a podium finisher at the Tour de France in 2010 - who joined from Lotto-Soudal in the off-season.

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Stuart Clarke is a News Associates trained journalist who has worked for the likes of the British Olympic Associate, British Rowing and the England and Wales Cricket Board, and of course Cycling Weekly. His work at Cycling Weekly has focused upon professional racing, following the World Tour races and its characters.