Soudal-QuickStep’s misfortunes at this year’s Itzulia Basque Country showed no sign of letting up on Friday, as less than 24 hours after Remco Evenepoel’s untimely exit Mikel Landa became their second GC leader to crash out of the race.
Both Landa and first-year Belgian teammate Gil Gelders were unlucky enough to crash at the foot of the Urkiola climb, with some 95 kilometres left to race. For Landa, he suffered a broken collarbone.
The latest crash to blight this year’s centenary edition of Itzulia Basque Country comes a scant one day after Evenepoel was one of 11 abandons following a mass crash that devastated the race.
Placed 27th overall when he crashed out, Landa has had a stunning start to the season, finishing second overall in the Volta a Catalunya. That was his best GC result since he took second overall in Itzulia last year behind Vingegaard, followed by a third in the Flèche Wallonne, another race he now seems certain to miss.
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