Crashed into pole, cycling champion loses Giro d'Italia race, forced to stay in hospital

The Giro d'Italia has lost one of its main protagonists since the first stage that took place in our country.

Mikel Landa, the 35-year-old Spaniard who was one of the main candidates for victory and is a very well-known name in international cycling, crashed after colliding with a pole on a fast bend near Fresco a few kilometers before the end of the stage.

He could not move due to the injury he suffered in the fall where he hit the pavement with great force, so he had to be transported on a stretcher by ambulance, as it was initially understood that it was something serious.

His team, Soudal-Quick Step, announced this evening that Landa's situation was problematic. It turns out that he has suffered a fracture of the T11 thoracic vertebra. As a result of this injury, he must remain in a prone or side position for a long time before starting the rehabilitation process.

In this way, it has been decided that Landa will first spend Friday night in the hospital in Tirana, and then, during Saturday, options will be reviewed to enable his return home, according to the advice given by the relevant specialist doctors for such cases.