Favourite Contender Roglic Withdraws, Martinelli's Tumble Stuns Giro Race
Slovenian cyclist Primoz Roglic, a pre-race favorite for the Giro d'Italia, has withdrawn from the race prematurely following a crash during the rain-soaked queen stage. The 35-year-old star of Red Bull-Bora-hansgrohe had been weakened by several crashes in recent days. Images shared by his team revealed Roglic leaving a team car near the 100-kilometer mark of the stage.
Roglic, who won the Giro in 2023, was in 10th place in the overall standings, 3 minutes and 53 seconds behind Mexican leader Isaac del Toro going into this stage. fellow rider Jai Hindley dropped out earlier in the race. The departure of Roglic is a significant setback for Red Bull, who were aiming for the victory with him.
Another cyclist, Italian rider Alessio Martinelli, crashed heavily on a descent about 100 kilometers from the finish. Martinelli slid off the road into a ravine and was taken to the hospital with a stable condition. More updates on his condition are expected throughout the day.
Rainy conditions ahead of the stage led to multiple crashes, including one involving British time trial specialist Joshua Tarling. Tarling crashed against a guardrail with 180 kilometers remaining and had to withdraw from the race injured.
The cyclists face another challenge on Wednesday, as the third week of the 108th Giro d'Italia includes 3,800 meters of climbing. Two more stages with over 4,500 meters of altitude are scheduled for Friday and Saturday, before the race concludes in Rome on Sunday.
Sources: ntv.de, tno/dpa
Cycling
Sports enthusiasts were left disappointed as Primoz Roglic, a renowned cyclist, had to withdraw from the Giro d'Italia due to a crash during the challenging cycling stage. Despite being a pre-race favorite, Roglic's participation in sports events will be temporarily halted, affecting Red Bull's chances in the cycling competition.
