Luis Leon Sanchez shows off gruesome elbow wounds after crash that ended his Tour de France

TOUR de France star Luis Leon Sanchez shocked fans with a gruesome photo. Photo / Twitter.

Astana rider Luis Leon Sanchez has shown off the gruesome wounds on his elbow after a nasty crash during the second stage of the Tour de France, which caused him to withdraw from the competition.,

The Spaniard fractured his elbow and four of his left ribs when he crashed 40km from the finish line on July 8 into some street signs.

Incredibly, he got back onto his bike and tried to finish the race but the pain proved too much.

Día 14... @AstanaTeam pic.twitter.com/nBhxNldF38

— Luis Leon Sanchez (@LLEONSANCHEZ) July 21, 2018

And judging by the pictures that have emerged, it is easy to see why that was the case.

The 34-year-old had to go under the knife to repair his elbow, with Astana sharing the pictures alongside the caption: Do not look at this Tweet If you have a weak stomach..'

On the day of the crash, Sanchez tweeted his gratitude for the support he received from his followers, writing: 'Thank you very much everyone for the messages of encouragement.

'We have had more difficult moments and we will return as soon as possible !! A hug and see you soon.

'There was a small gap in the road, and I crashed right into it. I have a fracture in my elbow, but I'm more worried about my rib, because I hit the ground on some street furniture.'

After stage 15 of the Tour, Team Sky's Geraint Thomas leads with team-mate Chris Froome in second place, a minute and 39 seconds behind.