Mikel Landa out of Giro d'Italia after pelvic fracture caused by medical car collision

This year’s Giro d’Italia will have to go on without Mikel Landa. The Spanish leader was found to have a small pelvic fracture after further examination, a result of a nasty crash in the Tour of the Basque Country. Landa must recover and will therefore miss the Giro.

Landa’s season preparation had already been difficult, causing him to only start racing in March in Catalonia. During the following Tour of the Basque Country, things went wrong when Landa was hit on a descent by the team doctor’s car, causing a serious crash. The climber eventually had to abandon, and recent examinations revealed he had sustained a minor pelvic fracture.

Recovery has already begun for the Soudal Quick-Step leader, but the Giro is too soon. “Of course, I’m disappointed because I worked hard to come back after a tough winter and was finally starting to feel good again,” Landa said on the team website. “I had some discomfort, but because of the type of fracture, it was initially hard to determine the cause. Now that we have clarity, I can fully focus on my recovery.”

“It’s a shame I have to miss the Giro d’Italia, especially since I was motivated to return after last year. But the priority now is to get healthy again and rebuild my fitness, and then later in the season we’ll look at new goals.”

Earlier today, it was also announced that João Almeida will not ride the Giro d’Italia due to health issues. Meanwhile, Richard Carapaz’s participation remains highly uncertain.