Laurent Jalabert, Tour de France sprint champion and the 1995 Vuelta a España overall champion who also became a decent marathoner and Ironman competitor, was knocked unconscious and suffered several injuries when hit by a car while riding his bike near his home in southwest France.

As reported by the Associated Press, police said the 44-year-old Jalabert was hit by a car traveling in the opposite direction “which refused to give priority” and hit Jalabert in the side.

The Daily Telegraph reported that Jalabert, head of France's elite men's road cycling team, was hit in Montauban near his home in Lafrancaise.

He was taken by ambulance to a nearby hospital, the Pont du Chaume clinic. A statement from the clinic read: ''Mr. Laurent Jalabert was knocked down around midday while he was riding his bike and was transported, after treatment by the ambulance crew, to the Pont de Chaume clinic in Montauban. His life is not in danger but he suffered multiple fractures, necessitating an operation.''

Jalabert was a top road racing cyclist from 1989 through 2002. Jalabert won the 1995 Vuelta a España where he won the General Classification, the sprinter’s and climber’s jersey – a feat accomplished by only three men in a Grand Tour event. Jalabert topped the International Cycling Union's end-of-year rankings in 1995, 1996, 1997 and 1999. He won the Tour de France points and climbing titles twice each as well as four stages. He also won the UCI Individual Time Trial World Championship in 1997 and placed 5th at the 2000 Olympic road race in Australia.

Jalabert took up triathlon in 2007, placing 22nd at Ironman Switzerland and 76th at the Ironman World Championship in Kona in a time of 9:19. In 2008, he finished 12th overall at Ironman France in Nice where he posted the second best bike split.

In 2005, Jalabert ran the New York Marathon in a time 2:55:39, finishing 391st in a field of 36,894.