Lance Armstrong teammate Levi Leipheimer withdraws from Tour de France after breaking wrist

Armstrong’s teammate Leipheimer has broken wrist

VITTEL, France — Lance Armstrong’s teammate Levi Leipheimer withdrew from the Tour de France before Friday’s 13th stage after breaking his wrist in a crash, his Astana team said.

Leipheimer fell off his bike about 1.86 miles from the finish line Thursday in a crash involving two-time Tour runner-up Cadel Evans.

The American was fourth overall, 39 seconds behind race leader Rinaldo Nocentini of Italy.

“Woke up to bad news. Levi is out with a broken wrist. Damn…,” Armstrong said on his Twitter feed.

Leipheimer is a very good friend of Armstrong within the Astana team that the Texan has said is riven by “tension” with Spaniard Alberto Contador.

Armstrong is in third place overall, 8 seconds behind Nocentini, who has not been regarded as a potential Tour winner. Contador, winner of the 2007 race, is in second place, 2 seconds ahead of Texan.