British rider Adam Yates, leader of the UAE Team Emirates squad, pulled out of the Giro d’Italia on Sunday before the start of the third stage, following the heavy crash he suffered the previous day.
Yates, a contender for the overall podium, went down in a massive pile-up that forced two of his teammates, Jay Vine and Marc Soler, to abandon the race on Saturday. According to Adrian Rotunno, the medical director of UAE Team Emirates, Vine sustained a concussion and a fractured elbow, while Soler suffered a pelvic fracture. Rotunno stated that neither rider currently requires surgery.
On Sunday, a bloodied and mud-covered Yates after Saturday’s stage also threw in the towel. The team doctor explained that Yates is dealing with severe abrasions and a cut to his left ear, along with concussion symptoms.
This marks continued misfortune for the third-place finisher of the 2023 Tour de France at the Giro. He had crashed in his two previous participations in the Italian Grand Tour, in 2017 and 2021, but managed to finish both editions, placing ninth and twelfth respectively.
Yates, the twin brother of Simon Yates – last year’s Giro winner who retired this season – will now focus on his role as a mountain lieutenant for Tadej Pogacar during the Tour de France in July.
Italian rider Andrea Vendrame (Jayco-AlUla), who finished Saturday’s second stage but is suffering from lower back fractures, also did not start on Sunday.
Two other riders, Colombian Santiago Buitrago (Bahrain) and Norwegian Adne Holter (Uno-X), had already withdrawn on Saturday.
**Key mentions:** Road cycling, Giro d’Italia, Adam Yates, Marc Soler, Jay Vine, UAE Team Emirates-XRG
