Laurens De Plus has already had to abandon the Vuelta a España. The Belgian rider from INEOS Grenadiers crashed at the beginning of the Team Time Trial. The consequences of the crash proved to be too serious to continue his race.
His team, INEOS Grenadiers, reports that De Plus is on his way to the hospital for a medical check-up. The loss of the Belgian rider is a setback for the British team, as he showcased his importance for the team in the Giro – where he secured a tenth place in the final classification.
Geraint Thomas feels responsible for the crash.
“I was the first one to go through the turn where De Plus crashed. Maybe I went a bit too fast, so he had to take a risk and crashed,” Thomas said to Eurosport.
Nothing went right for INEOS Grenadiers. “Filippo Ganna had a puncture. And some guys got very nervous after Laurens’ crash, they didn’t want to crash, of course.”
“The rain had a big effect on our performance, but it was the same for all teams. The only disadvantage for us was that it was a course where we couldn’t really use our strength. Nevertheless, we intended to give it our all,” Geraint Thomas concludes.