Race leader Juan Ayuso abandons Paris-Nice after heavy crash
The race leader was a faller with 47km remaining on stage 4. Although Ayuso briefly remounted and tried to continue, he was in considerable pain and he abandoned soon afterwards.
Juan Ayuso has abandoned Paris-Nice after he crashed heavily with 47km remaining on stage 4 to Uchon. The Spaniard was in the yellow jersey after leading his Lidl-Trek squad to second place in Tuesday’s team time trial.
Ayuso was in the front echelon when he crashed on a rain-soaked corner. Although he initially remounted and attempted to continue, Ayuso was in visible pain. He climbed off again within a few metres and lay in the verge on the roadside, where he was consoled by directeur sportif Steven de Jongh.
Ayuso was later taken away by ambulance.
On a day of driving rain and high winds, the peloton splintered into echelons shortly after leaving the start in Bourges. Ayuso had looked comfortable in making the front group of 40 riders, but he would fall foul of the day’s treacherous conditions.
Brandon McNulty and Nils Politt (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) also came down in the same incident as Ayuso. Another member of the front group, Oscar Onley, had fallen a few kilometres earlier, but the Ineos man gave chase in the company of teammate Josh Tarling.
Lidl-Trek confirmed that Ayuso has been taken to hospital for assessment, but the full extent of his injuries is not yet known.
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