Lorenzo Finn breaks wrist in mass crash at Tour of the Alps

Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe have confirmed that Lorenzo Finn suffered a broken wrist in the mass crash that forced the temporary neutralisation of the Tour of the Alps at the beginning of stage 3 on Wednesday. 

The world under-23 champion was one of eleven riders to abandon as a result of injuries sustained in the incident, which took place on a wide and straight stretch of road barely 500 metres after the official start.

A touch of wheels in the peloton saw approximately 30 riders hit the ground. The commissaires swiftly took the decision to neutralise the race in order to allow riders receive treatment for their injuries, and Finn was taken away by ambulance.

The race was stopped for 21 minutes before it resumed, with Victor Langellotti (Ineos), Damien Howson (Pinarello-Q35.5) and Felix Engelhardt (Jayco AlUla) also among the eleven riders who abandoned the race.

“Unfortunately, Lorenzo Finn was involved in a mass crash right after the start of today's Stage 3 of the Tour of the Alps. In the heavy crash, he suffered a broken wrist,” read a statement from Red Bull on Wednesday afternoon. “We wish Lorenzo a speedy recovery and also send our best wishes to all other riders involved.”

Although Finn is still officially contracted to Red Bull’s development squad this season, he has been drafted into the elite team on several occasions, including at the recent Settimana Coppi e Bartali.

Finn had impressed on stage 2 of the Tour of Alps, attacking on the final climb to Val Martello and then placing sixth on the day after helping teammate Giulio Pellizzari to victory. The 19-year-old began stage 3 in sixth overall, 13 seconds behind Pellizzari.

“I saw Lorenzo fall, he was one of the first to go down,” Pellizzari told reporters at the finish. “It’s really a pity, because he was going really well. I hope we’ll see him in the bunch again soon.”

Pellizzari successfully defended his green jersey on stage 3 to Arco on Wednesday, coming home in the front group as Tom Pidcock (Pinarello-Q36.5) sprinted to victory. The Italian carries a lead of four seconds over Thymen Arensman (Ineos) into stage 4, which takes in over 4,000m of climbing, including the Passo Bordala and the Passo Redebus.

“It’s certainly stressful to be race leader because anything can happen at any moment, but I’m learning,” said Pellizzari, who will share Red Bull leadership at the Giro d’Italia with 2022 champion Jai Hindley. “I’ve got a great team with me here to help, and they’re making my life a bit easier.”