Rockets suffer more than sprint disappointment as team bus sustains damage after Stage 6

Dylan Groenewegen and lead-out rider Elmar Reinders both went down in the final corner of Thursday’s stage, just as the Rockets appeared to be in a strong position to contest the sprint. The team had delivered an impressive lead-out into the finale, but on the slippery cobbled surface, both riders slid out and saw their chances disappear.

Fortunately, the damage from that late crash was not too serious. The same could not be said for the team bus.

“Misfortune can strike at any moment,” the team wrote. “Fortunately, the damage from the crash in the final stretch of Stage 6 wasn’t too bad. Our bus wasn’t so lucky. A truck smashed our outer window with its side mirror.”

It is not the first time the Rockets bus has drawn attention during this Giro. At the start of the race in Bulgaria, the team made light of the fact that the awnings on the vehicle still carried SD Worx-Protime branding. New awnings had reportedly been ordered but had not arrived in time, prompting the team to joke about the mix up on social media.

This latest incident adds to the run of bad luck that has marked the Rockets’ opening week at the Giro. Groenewegen also crashed in the opening stage, dislocating his shoulder, but was able to continue in the race. He later showed his sprinting legs by finishing third on Stage 3.