Ewan crashes within sight of the finish line on stage 1 of the Giro d’Italia
Ewan crashes within sight of the finish line on stage 1 of the Giro d'Italia
The opening stage of the 2022 Giro d’Italia did not go the way Caleb Ewan (Lotto Soudal) hoped in the end.
In the waning moments of the 195 km stage from Budapest to Visegrad, the 27-year-old Australian was behind Biniam Girmay (Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Materiaux) while the field powered uphill towards the line. As Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Fenix) surged into the lead ahead of Girmay, Ewan’s front wheel touched Girmay’s rear wheel. In a matter of moments, Ewan was down.
From the view provided by overhead video of the incident, Girmay did not seem to have made any sudden deviations. Ewan appeared to ride into his rival’s rear wheel, leading to his own crash.
Just ahead, Van der Poel won the day in front of Girmay with Pello Bilbao (Bahrain Victorious) taking third.
Ewan remained on the ground for several seconds before getting up and, sporting several scrapes and bruises, making his way over the line.
Fortunately, Ewan appears to be OK. His team said on social media on Friday that “apart from several abrasions, Caleb came away without any severe injuries and will take the start in the ITT tomorrow.”
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