Britain’s Adam Yates has been pulled out of the Giro d’Italia after suffering concussion in a heavy crash on Saturday.
Yates, 33, hit a barrier at high speed in a huge crash on a wet descent that involved about 30 riders. Two of his team-mates suffered fractures and were taken to hospital.
Although Yates managed to finish the stage to Veliko Tarnovo in Bulgaria, he lost 14 minutes to the leaders.
His team UAE Team Emirates-XRG said, external: “Adam Yates suffered heavy abrasions and a laceration to his left ear.
“He was initially assessed on site for concussion, and cleared to continue, but subsequently he has shown delayed concussive symptoms. He will not take the start of stage three.”
This is the first Grand Tour that Yates has contested that he will not finish. He has seven top-10 finishes to his name overall in Grand Tour races.
Team-mates Jay Vine of Australia and Marc Soler of Spain were badly hurt in the crash. Vine suffered concussion and an elbow fracture, while Soler has a pelvic fracture.
The team said Yates, Vine and Soler would be kept under observation by medical staff before travelling home in the coming days to recover.
Yates’ twin brother Simon won the Giro last year.
Guillermo Silva Thomas of Uruguay leads this year’s race after two stages.