A nasty crash interrupted the final meters of the Tirenno-Adriatico. In the final stage, Paul Magnier (Soudal Quick-Step) and Jasper Stuyven (Lidl-Trek) were the primary victims: they hit the asphalt hard and remained on the ground for a long time. Fortunately, the two riders managed to cross the finish line, although the extent of the damage is still unclear.
Stuyven hit the asphalt hard and was dazed when he came against the barrier. Afterward, he was able to explain exactly what had happened. "It was a bit stupid," he complained to Sporza. "A couple of guys weren't paying attention and rode into the back of me. Very unfortunate." A small plaster on the wound was the stage win of Jonathan Milan, who - after an annoying crash in stage three - had recovered enough to achieve his second victory in the Italian stage race."
The Italian thus seems ready for the spring classics, with Milan-Sanremo being the first real big goal. However, whether that will be with Stuyven remains to be seen, as it is Milan's concern. The former winner of La Primavera is particularly concerned about the blow he took to the head. "My wounds are not too bad, but it was a hard blow to my pelvis and head. Hopefully, it's not a concussion." Milan-Sanremo takes place on Saturday, March 22.
Stuyven posted an additional update on Instagram the day after. "Because Milan won the stage, half of the plan succeeded. The other part, staying safe, didn’t quite go to plan with me hitting the deck in the last straight. After a good night of sleep looks like there are no major injuries apart from some bruises left and right. I’ll give the body another day to recover before turning the pedals again."
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Another outsider for the first Monument of the year is Magnier. The 20-year-old Frenchman also fell hard after crashing earlier in the day. "Paul Magnier crashed in the closing meters of Sunday's stage seven, which concluded in San Benedetto del Tronto, just as he was preparing to open up his sprint," his team explained in a press statement. "It was his second crash of the day after he was involved in an incident at 80 kilometers. The Omloop Het Nieuwsblad runner-up was immediately assessed by the Soudal Quick-Step medical team and fortunately any serious injuries were excluded, though he will be examined again by the team's doctors Monday morning."