BALTANAS, Spain — With the road narrowing and cyclists piling up in front of him, Lance Armstrong tumbled hard off his bike.

He was left with a broken collarbone that will need surgery and questions about whether he'll be able to contend for an eighth Tour de France title in July.

"I'm alive!" he wrote on his Twitter feed. "Broken clavicle (right). Hurts like hell for now. Surgery in a couple of days. Thanks for all the well wishes."

Armstrong, 37, will fly back to the United States after being knocked out of the first stage of the Vuelta of Castilla and Leon stage race in Spain.

"The crash has put my upcoming calendar in jeopardy, but the most important thing for me right now is to get back home and rest up and begin my rehab," he said in a statement.

Armstrong is scheduled to compete in the Giro d'Italia from May 9-May 31, then the Tour de France from July 4-26.

BASKETBALL

EX-NBA PLAYER DEAD AT 67

Howard "Butch" Komives, who led the nation in scoring at Bowling Green in 1964 and went on to play 10 seasons in the NBA, has died. He was 67.

Komives died Sunday after battling health problems for the last decade.

He was found unconscious Thursday at his home in Toledo, Ohio, and never regained consciousness, said his son, Shane Komives. A cause of death was not released.

During his senior year at Bowling Green, he led the nation in scoring with just under 37 points per game.

Komives played in the NBA with the New York Knicks, Detroit Pistons, Buffalo Braves and Kansas City-Omaha Kings.

MIZZOU COACH EVASIVE

Missouri coach Mike Anderson sidestepped questions yesterday of his possible interest in going to Alabama or Georgia.

Anderson was asked during a news conference to respond to reports that he might be a candidate for coaching jobs at the two Southeastern Conference schools and to offer assurances to Missouri fans that he is staying.

His only response: "We're in the Sweet 16. We're talking about the Memphis Tigers today."

Missouri faces Memphis on Thursday.

The Birmingham (Ala.) News has reported that Anderson is one of several possible candidates to replace Mark Gottfried, the Crimson Tide coach who resigned in January.

Anderson is from Birmingham and coached four years at UAB before joining Missouri in 2006. His name also has been linked to the Georgia vacancy.

HOCKEY

WILD'S KOIVU SIDELINED

Minnesota Wild center Mikko Koivu will miss at least a week with a knee injury and could miss the rest of the regular season.

Koivu was hurt in Sunday's victory over Edmonton.

Assistant general manager Tom Lynn says Koivu had an MRI and saw team doctors yesterday and will be out at least seven days. Lynn also said Koivu could miss all 10 games through Minnesota's regular-season finale April 11.