Alex Rasmussen to start 2012 Giro d'Italia with stitched chin

Alex Rasmussen's final preparations for the 2012 Giro d'Italia have not gone quite to plan, as a training accident on Wednesday left him with stitches in his chin. It is not enough to keep the Garmin-Barracuda rider from being at the start Saturday, though.

"Had a little incident with the ground.  No concussion,” Rasmussen tweeted. “5 stitches.”

It was only supposed to be a quiet ride around Odense, but it led him to the emergency room after he “landed just unfortunate.”

Rasmussen is one of the Danish hopes in the Giro, which starts in Herning on Saturday. He hopes to win the prologue and take the first pink leader's jersey.

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