David Zabriskie leaving the Giro (Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Team Slipstream's David Zabriske was forced out of the Giro d'Italia on stage two after coming down in a multi-rider pileup and sustaining a fractured L1 vertebrae. The crash occurred on a railroad crossing with around 55 kilometres of the stage remaining. Astana's Alberto Contador was also involved but the Spaniard was uninjured and able to continue.
Zabriskie had been lying in second overall coming into the day's stage after Slipsteam's team time trial victory on Saturday. According to the team's website, slipstreamsports.com, the American suffered no neurological damage in the crash and will return home in the coming days to continue his recovery.
Zabriskie's team-mate Julian Dean also fell victim to a crash on stage two. The New Zealander sustained scrapes to his left leg but finished the stage, 7'55 down on the winner.
