Last year's runner-up Uran out of Tour

Rigoberto Uran, who finished runner-up in last year's Tour de France, has been forced to withdraw from this year's race following a crash on stage nine.

Rigoberto Uran is out of the Tour after failing to recover from injuries sustained in a crash. (AAP)

Last year's runner-up Rigoberto Uran has abandoned the Tour de France before the start of the 12th stage after failing to recover from injuries sustained in a crash.

"I didn't recover after the crash. Yesterday in the first real climb, all day, there was pain in my body," said the Colombian leader of the EF Education First-Drapac team, who crashed on the cobbles in Sunday's ninth stage.

"The most important thing is the rider's health," said the team's head sport director Charly Wegelius. "Rigo hasn't recovered from his crash on the cobbled stage, and his position on the bike is compromised and could create further issues down the line.

"We along with Rigo felt it best to pull out of the Tour this morning so he can recover and look toward the remainder of the season."

Uran had been lying 30th overall, 31 minutes and three seconds off the pace.

Thursday's stage is a 175.5km ride from Bourg-Saint-Maurice to L'Alpe d'Huez.