Cycling: Kiwi cyclist Dion Smith is set to continue riding in the Tour de France with broken thumb

Dion Smith will continue riding in the Tour de France despite crashing during a chaotic Stage Nine. Photo / Getty

Dion Smith is set to continue racing in the Tour de France after a chaotic ninth stage crash left the Kiwi cyclist in doubt.

The 25-year-old was caught in a chain-reaction accident yesterday during a stage that featured treacherous cobbles and was left with a fractured thumb, bruised cheek, bruised ribs, and cuts to his left hand.

But full of optimism, Smith told Radio Sport he believed things could have been worse and after enjoying a conveniently-timed rest day, the Kiwi cyclist said he was ready to hit the road.

From left to right (support staff and riders): Julian Dean, Patrick Bevin, Tom Scully, Dion Smith, Jack Bauer and Craig Geater. Photo / Roger Dungan

"It was a bit rough but I had a pretty good sleep last night and today was a rest day so I just took it easy on the bikes for an hour and just relaxed and put the feet up," Smith said.

"It's always going to be full of highs and lows in any sort of race and being such a long race it's going to be expected, crashes are always going to happen ... I think I did fall at the right time so to speak.

"It just makes for a good story really ... for me personally it could've been worse. I think there'll be a lot of sore riders tomorrow because a lot of guys crashed yesterday so I know I'm not the only one in the boat."

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However, not everyone has been as lucky as Smith, with fellow Kiwi Patrick Bevin losing his team leader aiming for the yellow jersey after Richie Porte was forced to withdraw from the Tour with a broken collarbone.

Porte said before the Tour de France that his hopes of dethroning defending champion Chris Froome rested on not having any more bad luck — such as the fall that knocked him out of last year's race. But as misfortune struck again, he was ruled out of continuing in the three-week Grand Tour.

Meanwhile, Kiwi Tom Scully's teammate Lawson Craddock, continues to ride the Tour with a broken shoulder bone, which he damaged in the opening stage.

The riders will embark on Stage 10 of the race tonight as the Tour ramps up into the Alps.