The Tour Down Under has lost one of its main competitors to overall victory. Australian champion Luke Plapp suffered a serious fall on Thursday, resulting in several bruises on his back, and as a result, the athlete was unable to return for the fourth stage.
Champion spent the night under observation
Leader Jayco AlUla completed the third stage almost ten minutes behind stage winner Sam Welsford. He crossed the finish line with his shirt completely torn and with several bruises. Before the fourth leg to Port Elliot, the Australian team announced that Plapp would no longer participate.
“We followed Luke throughout the night and unfortunately he was unable to start the fourth stage of the Tour Down Under due to continued discomfort and pain resulting from the large number of injuries,” said Jayco AlUla.
