CYCLING: Richie Porte has withdrawn from the time trial after suffering a fractured right scapula (shoulder blade) when he crashed on a descent during today’s road race at Copacabana.

He also sustained contusions and bruising in the crash that happened 35 kilometres from the finish of the 237km race in Copacabana.

"We were away with a small group on the descent and on one of the corners I came around and there was a guy on the road who crashed and I had nowhere to go,” Porte explained. “ It was fortunate a tree stopped me from going over the side.

“I’m bruised and battered and sore and I'm disappointed but lucky I’m not worse off,” said Porte who was also caught by the net fencing lining the side of the Vista Chinesa descent.

“I hit it with a fair bit of speed and it’s really disappointing because the guys were good all day looking after me and then for this to happen, it hurts,” he said.

Porte had already had a day marred with bad luck dropping his chain off the chain ring twice as he rode over the jarring cobbled section on the Grumari circuit end of the course.

“The second time Rohan (Dennis) was bringing me back and I got a puncture,” said Porte whose Olympic campaign is now over.

“I’m definitely out of the time trial,” he said after being released from Vitoria Hospital in Barra. “I won’t be able to ride for at least ten days, my arms in a sling and I can’t really move my arm.”

Porte made sure to call both his wife Gemma who is in Rio and his mother Penny back in Tasmania to make sure they knew he would be okay.

"Obviously it’s hard on Gemma when she hears I’ve crashed, guess it’s part of being a cyclists’ wife,” said Porte.

"It’s just so disappointing to not be able to do the time trial and not be able to finish the race today."

AOC