Vingegaard rejoins fray after mass crash in Vuelta finale

Jonas Vingegaard (Visma | Lease a Bike) was among the fallers in a mass crash on stage 2 of the Vuelta a España to Limone Piemonte. Tom Pidcock (Q36.5) also came down in the crash, but both riders were able to remount and rejoin the peloton, which slowed to allow a regrouping following the incident.

The crash took place on a rain-slicked roundabout with 26km of the stage remaining, with a rider from Q36.5 appearing to be the first to slide out. Pidcock took evasive action to avoid hitting a lamppost, while Vingegaard fell with several of his Visma teammates, including Axel Zingle.

Vingegaard was quickly back on a replacement bike and although he had a cut to his left elbow, he gave a thumbs up to a passing television motorbike to show that he was otherwise unscathed.

Zingle spent some time undergoing assessment in an ambulance before he rejoined the race and gave chase.

The slowing in the peloton allowed the day’s early break to extend its lead slightly ahead of the final climb to Limone Piemonte, but the speed began to ratchet back upwards once Vingegaard et al had rejoined the fray.

The rainy conditions in the final hours of racing led to a number of crashes, with Guillaume Martin (Groupama-FDJ) the first rider to abandon the Vuelta after he crashed with 45km to go.

George Bennett (Israel Premier Tech) fell soon afterwards, but the New Zealander was able to continue in the race.