Geoghegan Hart and Quintana injured after heavy crash in Burgos, Visma | LAB loses Tulett in early crash!

Another serious crash occurred in the Tour of Burgos, this time on Tuesday. With 35 kilometers to go, the accident happened on a narrow road. Victims include Nairo Quintana, Tao Geoghegan Hart, Valentin Paret-Peintre, and Damiano Caruso.

Paret-Peintre and Caruso notably remained down on the asphalt for a long time. Former Giro winner Quintana was able to remount, but was also visibly battered. It later became clear that Caruso (Bahrain Victorious) and Geoghegan Hart (Lidl-Trek) had withdrawn, along with James Shaw (EF Education-EasyPost) and Mika Heming (Tudor). Paret-Peintre finished miraculously in the leading group.

Earlier in the stage, Visma | Lease a Bike had already lost a key man. Ben Tulett was involved in a crash and could not continue, the team reported. The 22-year-old Brit had sprinted for bonus seconds on day one and was clearly in Spain for a strong overall ranking. However, his team later reported that he dislocated his shoulder during the crash.

More was revealed later in the evening about the physical condition of those who dropped out. Quintana completed the day, despite scrapes and bruises all over his body. Geoghegan Hart reported through his social media: "I landed on my head and felt dizzy. It didn’t seem wise for me or others to continue." Caruso, according to his team Bahrain Victorious, sustained a knee injury. The experienced Italian was taken to the hospital for further examination, also due to multiple abrasions.

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Disastrous year continues for Geoghegan Hart and Quintana

For Geoghegan Hart and Quintana, the crash was another setback in what could already be called a disastrous year. The Brit had already broken his hip in last year's Giro d'Italia, but seemed to have found the right rhythm again after his switch from INEOS Grenadiers to Lidl-Trek. However, he crashed hard in the Dauphiné, broke a rib, and contracted COVID-19, causing him to miss the Tour. The Tour of Burgos was intended for the 2020 Giro winner as preparation for the Vuelta a España.

Movistar, in turn, has yet to enjoy much from Quintana's return last winter. The Colombian, sidelined for months due to a doping case, broke his hand in the Tour of Switzerland after a rather anonymous Giro d'Italia. The Vuelta is normally next on his schedule as well.