Magnier avoids serious injury in Tirreno-Adriatico crash

Soudal Quick-Step have confirmed that Paul Magnier hasn’t suffered any serious injuries after his crash on the final stage of Tirreno-Adriatico. 

The 21-year-old Frenchman was among the fallers alongside Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Premier Tech) on the approach to a right-hand corner inside the final 2km of the seventh stage in the seaside town of San Benedetto del Tronto. Magnier was able to remount his bike and finish the stage in 133rd place. 

In an official statement following the race, the Belgian team confirmed that Magnier was immediately assessed, which “ruled out any serious injuries.”

The team also confirmed that they “will continue to monitor Paul, who suffered a contusion of the lower back and a small abrasion to the knee in the crash.”

Despite Magnier being ruled out of contention, Soudal Quick-Step managed to take 3rd place on the stage with Laurenz Rex behind stage winner Jonathan Milan (Lidl-Trek), who won in San Benedetto del Tronto for the third consecutive edition. 

Rex himself is in action a month and a half after suffering three broken spinous processes in a crash at the AlUla Tour at the end of January and has quickly returned to form, finishing 6th at Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne, 2nd at Ename Samyn Classic, before his strong Tirreno sprint.

“It’s a good result, which shows the progress I’ve made in bunch sprints since joining the team, but at the same time it’s frustrating, because if we have had Paul with us, we’re confident we could have won,” said Rex in the Soudal Quick-Step press release. “Results don’t even matter now, we just hope he is well.”

After winning both sprint stages at the Volta ao Algarve in February, Magnier sprinted on one occasion at Tirreno-Adriatico, finishing 4th on stage 3, won by Tobias Lund Andresen. 

Next up on the Frenchman’s provisional schedule is Milan-Sanremo, where he is set to make his debut, after missing out last year due to the crashes he had suffered also at Tirreno.