The medical imaging underlined shoulder ligament ruptures with an acromioclavicular joint (AC-joint) dislocation, which causes Cavendish a lot of pain. The AC joint is a joint located at the top of the shoulder. It is the junction between the acromion, which is part of the scapula that forms the highest point of the shoulder, and the collarbone.

A team spokesman said a final decision on his participation in tomorrow's stage 2 of this year's Tour de France will be taken Sunday morning.

"I'm gutted about the crash today,” Cavendish told RoadCycling.com and added "It was my own fault. I'll personally apologize to Simon Gerrans as soon as I get the chance. In reality I tried to find a gap that wasn't really there. I wanted so much to win today."

"I felt really strong and was in a great position to contest the sprint thanks to the unbelievable efforts of my team. Sorry to all the fans that came out to show their support. It was truly incredible," Cavendish concluded.