After exhibiting nice form at Strade Bianche with an eighth-place end, the remainder of Michael Valgren’s (EF Education-EasyPost) Classics marketing campaign has been plunged into doubt after breaking his collarbone at Tirreno-Adriatico.
Valgren crashed 11.4km from the end in Follonica on stage 2 after a contact of wheels and crash for Dylan Groenewegen (Jayco AlUla) rippled again via the peloton, inflicting the EF rider and Xabier Azparren (Q36.5 Pro Cycling) to go down.
The Dane did not proceed the race, and after being taken for X-rays, his workforce confirmed on Tuesday night that he had fractured his proper clavicle. Groenewegen and Azparren each completed the stage, however Azparren additionally deserted forward of day 3 as a result of a concussion.
“Michael Valgren fractured his proper collarbone in his crash at present at Tirreno-Adriatico,” learn a social media post from his workforce.
“Collarbone 1, Michael 0,” mentioned the Dane on his Instagram story, pictured in a sling after the stage.
A former winner of the Omloop Het Nieuwsblad in 2018, Valgren will now probably miss out on the cobbled Flemish Classics that kick off absolutely on the E3 Saxo Classic on March 28 and run via to the Tour of Flanders, the place he is completed fourth prior to now, on April 6.
Valgren might nonetheless make it again in time for the hilly Ardennes Classics that begin with one other race he is received prior to now, Amstel Gold Race, on April 20.
Having proven indicators of his earlier greatest three years after his close to career-ending crash at La Route d’Occitanie in 2022, Valgren could be certainly one of EF’s co-leaders if he returns in time, alongside Ben Healy, who additionally completed within the prime ten of Strade Bianche.
A former teammate of Valgren’s, Alberto Bettiol (XDS-Astana), has additionally deserted Tirreno-Adriatico as a result of sickness, needing time to return to prime form forward of the Spring Classics.
“Today we begin [with] six. Alberto Bettiol felt sick not too long ago and after yesterday’s stage had a fever,” mentioned the Italian rider’s workforce on X. “It was determined to let him get better absolutely for the upcoming classics.”
Should he get better in time, Bettiol will lead XDS Astana on the Classics, beginning with Milan-San Remo on Saturday earlier than heading to the cobbled races in Belgium as a former winner of the Tour of Flanders.
Of the 168 starters on the Race of the Two Seas, there are solely 158 remaining mid-way via the third stage, with David Gaudu (Groupama-FDJ) abandoning after crashing and injuring his elbow yesterday, and Robbe Ghys (Alpecin-Deceuninck) not beginning stage 3 as a result of “private causes associated to his spouse’s being pregnant”.
