The Soudal-QuickStep crew has been additional diminished on the Giro d’Italia, with simply two riders getting into the ultimate week after the withdrawal of Davide Ballerini.
The Italian didn’t begin stage 16 on Tuesday morning, together with his crew citing ‘sickness’ as the explanation.
Ballerini is the sixth QuickStep rider to make an early exit from the 2023 Giro, with crew chief and pre-race favorite Remco Evenepoel the primary to go after testing optimistic for COVID-19 simply after his victory within the stage 9 time trial.
Only one stage later, they have been down to 3, as no fewer than 4 riders pulled out forward of stage 11 after additionally contracting COVID-19: Louis Vervaeke, Josef Cerny, Jan Hirt, and Mattia Cattaneo.
The three remaining riders made it by way of the second week however now Ballerini leaves the crew with simply two for the ultimate week: Ilan Van Wilder and Pieter Serry.
Van Wilder, who was Evenepoel’s right-hand man, sits sixteenth total, whereas Serry has already proven ambitions to get within the breakaway on stage 16.
Ballerini was one in all three non-starters on Tuesday’s massive mountain stage that finishes on Monte Bondone.
Simon Clarke (Israel-Premier Tech), who got here near a breakaway stage win earlier within the race, additionally left by way of sickness.
“I’ve been battling some illness for a couple of days and it’s not getting any higher,” he stated. “Along with the crew we’ve got determined that I cease now and go house to get better.”
The opposite non-starter was Trek-Segafredo’s Amanuel Ghebreigzabhier, who crashed on stage 14 and has been struggling ache in his ribs.
The Giro peloton is right down to 129 riders, shedding 47 for the reason that 176 riders began out simply over a fortnight in the past.
