For the second time in this Tour de France Fred Rodriguez ended a stage flat on his back, writhing in pain. And both times, in Ghent 10 days ago and in Montpellier Thursday, the Predictor-Lotto sprinter was critical of the race organization.

“They do it every time. They don’t care,” said an angry Rodriguez. “It’s the Tour de France and they think they own this race. They have no respect for the riders. I’m sick of it.”

The crash happened 700 meters from the line at the end of a chicane that was not shown on the map in the official road book. The chicane followed a fast run down a narrow ramp off a highway and a left sweep around a traffic island.

Rodriguez had just about recovered from the leg injuries of the Ghent crash, and with his team’s main sprinter Robbie McEwen out of the race, the American is now being supported in field sprints. He was shooting for the win, especially as rivals Erik Zabel (Milram) and Thor Hushovd (Crédit Agricole) were tailed off in the second group. Others in the front 10 riders coming into the chicane were Hushovd’s normal lead-out man Julian Dean of New Zealand, Saunier Duval’s Spanish sprinter Francisco Ventoso and Tom Boonen.

Green-jersey leader Boonen was confident of taking his second stage win of this Tour. The Quick Step team leader said, “I was on the wheel of four Liquigas guys and in a perfect position to get points that would put me well ahead of Zabel and Hushovd in the classification. Then this rider comes through at 75 kph into a 90-degree turn. That person was Julian Dean.”

Rodriguez was in perfect position. “I was right behind Boonen,” said the Californian. “There was a chicane and nobody had any idea [it was there] and we were coming in so fast. People just came in out of control and I had nowhere to go. I just went into the barriers, we had nowhere to go.”

The crash took Dean, Ventoso, Boonen and Rodriguez out of a sprint that they would have contested with eventual stage winner Robbie Hunter of Barloworld. Dean had multiple cuts and bruises, particularly around his right knee. Ventoso was more badly injured, and was taken to a hospital for x-rays on his left hand.

As for Rodriguez, he limped across the line seven minutes after Hunter. With his right leg dangling and a black chainwheel imprint on the calf muscle, he was then pushed by a Predictor-Lotto soigneur for the 500 meters to his team bus. Holding back tears, Rodriguez spoke quietly, his voice breaking with emotion. “I can’t move it right now,” he said about his leg.

When a reporter said the crash was tough luck, an angry Rodriguez said, “It’s not tough luck. The Tour de France has to start paying, has to start paying for this. They have no respect for their riders.”