Three Astana Cyclists Crash Due to Road Gully in Giro d'Italia Stage

The first stage of the Giro d'Italia saw several crashes, including a particularly concerning incident involving three cyclists from the XDS Astana team who fell due to a road gully.

Nicolas Vinokurov, Harold Tejada, and Simone Velasco crashed while navigating the time trial course at speeds exceeding 50 kilometers per hour. The road gully caused them to lose control of their bikes, resulting in a harsh fall. Vinokurov, son of former cycling star and Astana team boss Alexander Vinokurov, shared a video of the incident, describing it as "terrible."

While the crashes were severe, all three riders managed to complete the stage without major injuries. However, the Astana team finished last, more than two minutes behind the leaders. Simone Velasco narrowly avoided missing the time limit for the stage.

Despite the difficult start, Vinokurov expressed resilience, stating, "We started the Tour in a crazy way, but we are all on two feet. Tomorrow we fight on." The team will begin the second stage with diminished motivation following this challenging opening.

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We started the Tour in a crazy way, but we are all on two feet. Tomorrow we fight on.