Favourite Contender Roglic Yields, Martinelli's Unexpected Crash Stuns Giro Race
Slovenian Star Roglic Withdraws from Giro d'Italia After Crash
The favorite for the Giro d'Italia, Primoz Roglic of Red-Bull, has withdrawn from the race after crashing during the 16th stage. The incident occurred on a rainy queen stage, marking the end of Roglic's bid for a top result in this year's competition.
Roglic, who was the reigning Giro winner in 2023, struggled during the previous days due to several crashes. Images from his team showed the 35-year-old Slovenian leaving a team car following his latest fall, approximately 100 kilometers from the finish.
At the time of his withdrawal, Roglic trailed the leader, Isaac del Toro from Mexico, by 3 minute and 53 seconds. Jai Hindley, an important helper for Roglic, had already dropped out on the sixth stage. The departure of the well-compensated Slovenian is a significant setback for the Red-Bull team, as they had been aiming for victory with Roglic. Last year, Roglic's Tour de France was also cut short after 12 stages due to numerous crashes.
In a separate incident, Italian cyclist Alessio Martinelli had a heavy crash on a descent about 100 kilometers from the finish. Martinelli was transported to the hospital conscious, and his condition is currently stable. More information about his condition will be provided as it becomes available.
The adverse weather conditions affected the riders 180 kilometers from the finish. Joshua Tarling, a British time trial specialist who won the second Giro stage, slid on the wet road and collided with a guardrail, resulting in his withdrawal with an injury. With over 3800 meters of elevation ahead on Wednesday, followed by two more stages with over 4500 meters of elevation, the professional cyclists face challenging terrain in the remaining days of the race. The 108th Giro concludes on Sunday in Rome.
Sources: ntv.de, tno/dpa
Sports took a toll on Primoz Roglic, as he had to withdraw from the Giro d'Italia, not just this year, but also last year's Tour de France. Despite being a reigning champion in sports like cycling, Roglic, a Slovenian, unfortunately faced multiple crashes, which affected his performance in both events.
