The British rider Adam Yates has been pulled out of the Giro d’Italia after sustaining a concussion following a crash on stage two.
The 33-year-old sustained abrasions and a laceration to his left ear during an incident involving almost 30 riders on Saturday’s rain-soaked 221km route from Burgas to Veliko Tarnovo in Bulgaria.
Yates, who hit a barrier at high speed, eventually finished almost 14 minutes behind the leading pack after he battled on in a blood-stained kit. His UAE Team Emirates teammates Jay Vine and Marc Soler were also injured. The Australian Vine sustained a concussion and an elbow fracture, while the Spaniard Soler has a pelvic fracture. All three riders are under medical observation and will travel home in the coming days to continue their recovery.
An update from the team’s medical director, Adriano Rotunno, read: “Adam Yates suffered heavy abrasions and a laceration to his left ear. He was initially assessed on site for concussion, and cleared to continue, but subsequently he has shown delayed concussive symptoms. He will not take the start of stage three today.”
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The race continues on Sunday with a 175km flat stage from Plovdiv to Sofia, before heading home to Italy after a rest day, for Tuesday’s ride across Calabria from Catanzaro to Cosenza.