Damiano Cunego (Lampre-Farnese Vini) was a victim of the mass pile up at the end of stage two of the Vuelta a Andalucia/Ruta del Sol. He managed to remount and cross the line but was unable to hold the handlebars with his right hand; his injuries mean that he will not be starting stage three tomorrow.
The stage finish was beset with chaos as organisers were forced to take down the 2km to go banner due to the strong winds. The finishing straight featured a number of islands and central reservations, which many hold accountable for the ensuing pile-up.
"Damiano was involved in the crash at about 500 meters from the finish,” said Lampre-Farnese Vini team doctor Carlo Guardascione, “bumping against a fence and causing a major contusion to his right forearm (without fracturing either his radius or ulna) plus multiple abrasions to his elbow and arm.
“The prognosis is 5 days to be able to fully recover from all the bruises,” he continued, “when he gets back home tomorrow he will undergo some medical checks."
The crash also saw Jelle Vanendert (OmegaPharma-Lotto) and Laurens Ten Dam (Rabobank) hospitalised.