Abandons and disqualification following crash-marred first stage of Tour Down Under

Robert Gesink being taken down by a crash on stage 1 of the Tour Down Under 2023
Robert Gesink being taken down by a crash on stage 1 of the Tour Down Under 2023 (Image credit: Sprint Cycling Agency)

It may only be the second day of the 2023 WorldTour but already the crashes and injuries are piling up at the Tour Down Under, with numerous riders falling on the first road stage of the race and two having to abandon.

After a wet opening prologue which saw several riders hit the deck on slippery corners in downtown Adelaide, the 150km stage 1 in Tanunda was no different with several small crashes early on followed by a more crash in the sprint.

Dani Ostanek
Senior News Writer

Dani Ostanek is Senior News Writer at Cyclingnews, having joined in 2017 as a freelance contributor and later being hired full-time. Before joining the team, she had written for numerous major publications in the cycling world, including CyclingWeekly and Rouleur. She writes and edits at Cyclingnews as well as running newsletter, social media, and how to watch campaigns.