Greater than 20 minutes after Mads Pedersen (Trek-Segafredo) claimed the victory on stage 6 of the Giro d’Italia, the sight of Mark Cavendish pedalling a solitary path in the direction of the Astana Qazaqstan staff bus made it clear that this had been a second successive, powerful day on the workplace for the British dash champion.
Following stage 5’s dramatic late, high-speed crash, Cavendish had already made it clear on the stage 6 begin that though he was not badly injured, he was unsure how the day would play out.
Cavendish was dropped on the primary class 2 climb of the day, the Valico di Chiunzi, after – as he had predicted may occur – different groups had laid down a ferocious tempo on the ascent.
Nonetheless, the worst second of the day for the Astana Qazaqstan rider got here on the foot of the descent off the Colle de San Pietro, the unclassified climb which adopted Valico di Chiunzi. Though but to be definitively confirmed, the Briton was reportedly thrown off stability by a freakishly-strong gust of wind because the race reached the coast at Amalfi, in line with the race organiser, and crashed, once more.
Pictures confirmed Cavendish mendacity hunched up in the midst of the highway, his bike beside him, as different riders dodged previous the fallen rider.
The identical descent had already been made notorious in Giro historical past in 1997, when Marco Pantani returned to the race after a prolonged restoration from a crash in Milan-Turin in 1995, solely to crash out after a cat crossed his path.
Fortuitously, Cavendish was capable of proceed after his newest spill, however the Briton ended up crossing the road 18 minutes down.
He then needed to spend extra time within the stage 6 end space earlier than heading for the staff bus as he had been chosen for a routine anti-doping management.
An Astana staff press launch stated afterwards that Cavendish had fallen however that he had managed to finish the course with robust assist from his teammates.
“Mark Cavendish crashed earlier in Stage 6 ultimately of the longest descent of the day from Colle San Pietro,” the press launch said. “He completed the stage surrounded by teammates, Samuele Battistella, Gianni Moscon and Christian Scaroni. Later within the night, he will likely be checked rigorously by staff medical employees.”
Simply the day earlier than Cavendish hit the deck on the end line in Salerno. Throughout the decreased bunch dash within the rain that made roads treacherous, he first bobbled on the painted white line, however stayed upright. However then DSM sprinter Alberto Dainese veered throughout his path inflicting the Briton to collide with one other rider and hit the deck. Regardless of going flat on the bottom, his ahead movement carried throughout the end, counted as fourth place.
Cavendish, like the remainder of the peloton, now faces a way more tough stage on Friday, a 218km high-mountain trek from Capua to the Gran Sasso. The subsequent clear alternative for a bunch dash will come on stage 11 at Tortona.
