Wout van Aert (Jumbo-Visma) and Tom Pidcock (Ineos Grenadiers) would have been favourites for the stage win in Tortoreto on stage 4 of Tirreno-Adriatico on Thursday, but the two Classics specialists crashed together inside four kilometres to go.
Pidcock appeared to be drifting back from the front part of the bunch and Van Aert moving forward when the Jumbo-Visma rider became squeezed in between teammate Koen Bouwman and Pidcock.
The riders collided and both came down, fortunately not bringing anyone else along with them.
Although the pair are fierce rivals, as they got up and brushed themselves off with torn shorts and scraped skin, they apologised to each other and rode along together, well out of contention for the stage win.
"We were fighting for position, it's kind of an incident that can happen at that point," Van Aert said to Het Nieuwsblad. "I tried to defend my position with the boys on my team. I think Tom hooked up behind me and tried to squeeze through a hole. When I thought I had already passed him, I felt someone hook into my bike behind me and I was dragged to the ground.
"The damage seems to be okay. I'm not in too much pain. I'm well scraped up, but that makes sense after that sliding. Other than that, I hope it's OK."
Pidcock also told Cyclingnews he was fine.
"I'm alright," Pidcock said. "I don't really know what happened. Wout said it was his fault, he apologised, so yeah, it's just a racing incident.
"I was just trying to get out of the way of my own team, and next thing I know I'm on the floor. It'll be pretty sore sleeping tonight, but I'm alright."
At least Van Aert could take solace in his teammate Primož Roglič snagging the stage victory in his stead.
"It is a very big bandage on the wound that Primoz won. It's great when you start with such a team, then you know that you have several chances. It's not my habit to fall, but you see it happened quickly. Then it is very good that the guys kept a cool head and that Primoz was able to finish it.”
