Visma-Lease a Bike’s dangerous luck and accidents on the Giro d’Italia has continued, with sprinter Olav Kooij pressured to tug out of the Giro d’Italia as a consequence of a fever, two days after taking his first Grand Tour stage win in Naples.
Kooij is the third rider on the Dutch staff to desert the 2024 Giro after Robert Gesink and Christophe Laporte have been pressured to depart the race as a consequence of accidents sustained in crashes on stage 1 and stage 5 respectively.
Ethan Vernon (Israel-Premier Tech) and Max Kanter (Astana Qazaqstan) additionally deserted the Giro earlier than stage 10, whereas Alexander Krieger (Tudor Pro Cycling Team) crashed out on stage 9 struggling a number of rib fractures and a fractured pelvis. He stays in hospital in Naples.
Vernon was struggling to get better regardless of being on antibiotics and the German has an “acute respiratory viral an infection with fever”.
These newest abandons leaves 159 riders to start out stage 10 of the Giro from Pompei to Cusano Mutri (Bocca della Selva).
Kooij and Visma-Lease a Bike celebrated on Sunday evening however then he turned unwell throughout Monday’s relaxation day.
“This Giro d’Italia sweeps us by means of a spread of feelings. Olav Kooij has developed a fever throughout the remainder day. He is unable to proceed,” learn an announcement from the staff on social media.
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“Get effectively quickly, Grand Tour stage-winner.”
Kooij took his gorgeous win on stage 9 of the Giro in a wide ranging end forward of Jonathan Milan (Lidl-Trek) and Juan Sebastian Molano (UAE Team Emirates) however will play no additional half within the 5 doable remaining dash levels.
This leaves Visma, who gained the Giro in 2023 by means of Primož Roglič, with solely 5 riders beginning the second week: Cian Uijdtebroeks, Jan Tratnik, Attila Valter, Edoardo Affini and Tim van Dijke.
Their ambitions will now seemingly focus absolutely on defending Uijtdebroeks’ lead in the perfect younger rider’s white jersey classification and his place within the high 5 on GC as he sits 4:02 behind race chief Tadej Pogačar, whereas the likes of Tratnik and Valter may now be granted extra freedom in breakaways.
The younger Dutch sprinter’s exit marks a continuation of dangerous luck for high aspect Visma-Lease a Bike with a lot of their ambitions for 2024 being derailed by sickness or, extra notably, by means of harm, with superstars Wout van Aert and Jonas Vingegaard dominated out for a lot of the season with fractures.
What was an extremely stacked dash discipline has not solely contracted but additionally energy with riders corresponding to fellow stage winner Tim Merlier (Soudal-QuickStep) battling accidents after a crash within the time trial.
With the dash discipline now hampered, extra groups may very well be within the breakaway after they have been largely well-controlled within the first week and so restrict the sprinter’s hopes this week on flat levels up the Adriatic coast.
Stage 4 winner and maglia ciclamino wearer Milan will seemingly be checked out because the favorite for the sprints together with his Lidl-Trek staff anticipated to take management.
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