Nairo Quintana abandons Tour de Suisse after breaking hand in stage 2 crash

Nairo Quintana has deserted the Tour de Suisse after sustaining a fracture to a bone in his proper hand in a crash within the finale of stage 2 to Regensdorf.

Although Quintana was in a position to remount and full the stage, 2:23 down on winner Bryan Coquard (Cofidis), he was a non-starter on stage 3 following evaluation of his accidents on Monday night time.

“After his crash yesterday throughout the second stage of the Tour de Suisse, Nairo underwent radiological checks final night time because of the ache he was struggling,” learn a press release from Movistar.

“Quintana suffered a non-displaced fracture of the fourth metacarpal of the suitable hand. The Colombian’s hand will probably be handled with immobilisation and he won’t begin in the present day’s stage 3.”

A variety of riders crashed within the finale of stage 2 of the Tour de Suisse, together with Emanuel Buchmann (Bora-Hansgrohe), who suffered a damaged hip and collarbone.

It is just not but clear how lengthy Quintana will spend on the sidelines, however the Colombian was not attributable to experience this 12 months’s Tour de France having not too long ago accomplished the Giro d’Italia in nineteenth place total. Since the beginning of the season, Movistar have indicated that Quintana may also experience the Vuelta a España within the service of Enric Mas.

Quintana re-joined Movistar this season after spending the 2023 season on the sidelines having didn’t discover a crew within the wake of his optimistic checks for Tramadol on the 2022 Tour de France.

The 34-year-old has endured a tough comeback season after contracting COVID-19 throughout the Tour Colombia in February. That sickness delayed the beginning of his European season and he suffered an additional setback when he ruptured an arm ligament in a crash on the Volta a Catalunya.

Those points noticed Quintana downgrade his Giro ambitions from the overall classification to chasing stage wins. He went closest at Livigno on stage 15, inserting second after being caught and handed by maglia rosa Tadej Pogačar on the ultimate strategy to the end.

Quintana lined out on the Tour de Suisse in assist of Mas, who’s utilizing the Swiss race to construct in direction of the Tour. It stays to be seen, nonetheless, if Mas will probably be flanked in July by Oier Lazkano, who confirmed hitherto unheralded climbing skills on the Critérium du Dauphiné. The Spanish champion is out of contract on the finish of this season and has been linked with a transfer to Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe.