Miguel Ángel López crashes out of Giro d’Italia
Handlebar wobble on time trial bike sends Colombian into fences and to hospital.
Heading out the door? Read this article on the new Outside+ app available now on iOS devices for members! Download the app.
Bad luck continued for Colombian star Miguel Ángel López in opening stages of grand tours.
The Astana rider, who crashed in the opening stage of the 2020 Tour de France, smashed into the barriers Saturday and crashed out of the Giro d’Italia.
López was down on his aero bars in Saturday’s opening time trial, and lost control of his front wheel over a flat, but bumpy section of road just as he was changing hand positions. An uneven road surface jarred his front wheel, causing him to lose control of his bike. López swung abruptly to his right, and smashed directly into barriers lining the route.
López was transported in an ambulance to a local hospital, and is out of the Giro. Team officials confirmed López was accompanied by a team doctor, and more details will be forthcoming.
Team doctors later said López did not break any bones. Here is the team statement:
“The X-ray has shown no fractures, he suffered a deep wound very close to the iliac arteria, which he had a surgery to repair and which will heal in the upcoming weeks. Regarding this crash Miguel Angel hasn’t sustained any further serious injuries. He was able to leave the hospital on foot and returned back to the team`s hotel. We will see how he is feeling tomorrow about returning back home. – Team doctor Serge Niamke”
At the Tour at least, López survived a wet, high-speed spill into a retaining wall to go on to win the stage at the Col de la Loze in stage 17 in the Alps.
https://twitter.com/carloselbuho/status/1312406679166898176