The Soudal-QuickStep group 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 group citing ‘sickness’ as the rationale.
Ballerini is the sixth QuickStep rider to make an early exit from the 2023 Giro, with group chief and pre-race favorite Remco Evenepoel the primary to go after testing constructive for COVID-19 simply after his victory within the stage 9 time trial.
Only one stage later, they had been down to a few, 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 means of the second week however now Ballerini leaves the group with simply two for the ultimate week: Ilan Van Wilder and Pieter Serry.
Van Wilder, who was Evenepoel’s right-hand man, sits sixteenth general, whereas Serry has already proven ambitions to get within the breakaway on stage 16.
Ballerini was one in every of three non-starters on Tuesday’s large 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 means of sickness.
“I’ve been battling some illness for a number of days and it’s not getting any higher,” he stated. “Along with the group we’ve determined that I cease now and go dwelling 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, dropping 47 for the reason that 176 riders began out simply over a fortnight in the past.
