Former Chelsea and Tottenham boss Andre Villas-Boas is out of the Dakar Rally after getting hospitalized through car crash.

The 40-year-old left his role as coach of Chinese side Shanghai SIPG in November to compete in his first rally.

He was two hours 18 minutes and 50 seconds behind the leader after the third stage but on the next his Toyota Hilux hit a sand dune.

Villas-Boas sustained no broken bones but was taken to hospital for checks.

André Villas-Boas has however said that he is safe and well after being taken to hospital when his car crashed into a sand dune, forcing him to retire from the Dakar Rally.

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“Just to tell everyone that both me and Ruben are safe and well and back in the bivouac,” the 40-year-old wrote. “We jumped off a dune and crashed the car nose first. The Dakar unfortunately is finished for us.”

The British motorcyclist Sam Sunderland, who was leading the race, also abandoned his title defence due to back pain after being hurt during a jump.

Adrien van Beveren of France won the fourth stage in just over four hours. He also moved into the overall lead. Sébastien Loeb won the car stage.