Giulio Ciccone (Trek-Segafredo) was forced to abandon the Vuelta a España on stage 16 after suffering a crash in the first kilometres of the 180km stage from Laredo to Santa Cruz de Bezana.
Ciccone got back up after the crash but suffered “a strong contusion and a cut to his right knee, caused by a large chainring,” according to his team. He later abandoned in tears.
The Italian had been lying 12th overall, 6:16 behind race leader Odd Christian Eiking.
It is the second time this season that the 26-year-old has crashed out of a Grand Tour. In May, Ciccone was in sixth overall in the Giro d’Italia when he suffered a high-speed crash on stage 17 on the descent from the Passo di San Valentino along with teammate Vincenzo Nibali and Deceuninck-Quickstep’s Remco Evenepoel.
Ciccone finished the stage but lost eight minutes, then abandoned before stage 18 after a difficult night’s sleep.
Ciccone was one of three riders to abandon stage 16 at the Vuelta a España along with Rudy Molard (Groupama-FDJ) and Sep Vanmarcke (Israel Start-Up Nation).
More to come.
