Gutierrez abandons

By Hernan Alvarez Macias

Injuries to both his body and morale prevented Illes Balears rider Jose Ivan Gutierrez from continuing in this year's Vuelta a España, who chose not to start Sunday's Stage 9 time trial in Lloret de Mar. The previous stage [Stage 8], Gutierrez crashed with 47 kilometres to go, going over his bars and into a ditch, with the brunt of the fall taken by his right leg. Standing up with great difficulty, team director Eusebio Unzue got out of his car and helped Gutierrez back on his bike, where he went on to finish the stage in the peloton.

However, Saturday's accident wasn't his first, the 26 year-old having found himself on the ground on two previous occasions earlier in the week. While Gutierrez is normally among the favourites for a race against the clock, he decided not to take part in today's chrono early this morning.