Several major names have been involved in a crash on the descent of the Passo di San Valentino with 25km to go on stage 17 at the Giro d'Italia.
Remco Evenepoel (Deceuninck-QuickStep) and Giulio Ciccone (Trek-Segafredo) were among the main victims of the accident, which came as the peloton was speeding down the technical descent 28 kilometres from the finish of the stage.
The duo, as well as a number of other riders, hit the deck while tackling a tight corner on the descent just past the town of Brentonico in Trentino, with Evenepoel taking a painful collision with metal guard rail before continuing with a bandaged left wrist. He finished the stage grimacing in pain, 35 minutes down on winner Dan Martin (Israel Start-Up Nation), his left elbow visibly swollen.
Team BikeExchange duo of Nick Schultz and Mikel Nieve also hit the deck, while the Trek-Segafredo trio of Ciccone, Vincenzo Nibali and Amanuel Ghebreigzabhier were also involved, as was Eolo-Kometa rider Mark Christian.
Ciccone – who lay sixth overall at 4:31 – had just made it back through the team cars and was close to catching the peloton with 16 kilometres to run but stopped to change his bike. The efforts cost him, and the Italian lost 6:35, dropping to 10th in the general classification. Trek-Segafredo later announced he had "suffered a heavy contusion to the lumbar area of his back and left hand".
Nibali underwent examinations on his right arm - the same side where he broke his wrist three weeks before the Giro d'Italia. Trek-Segafredo said that X-rays showed no fractures in his right humerus.
"Given the extent of the contusions and consequences of the crash, the three riders will be monitored in the coming hours and, tomorrow morning, will be made a further assessment by the team doctor," Trek-Segafredo's statement read.