Conor Dunne has told how he was forced with other riders to take refuge in bushes as the Italian race he was riding was pelted with hailstones, some the size of golf balls.
The former Irish road race champion, who riders for Israel Cycling Academy, said the hailstones were so painful when they hit his skin that he couldn't even run from the bush to team cars that had stopped on the roads just yards away.
Former pro rider Erik Breukink is working on the Adriatica Ionica Race as a manager with the Dutch Roompot-Charles team and has posted a video, below, he recorded of the incident.
"Today was mental (on the) Penultimate climb in Adriatica Ionica Race in the Dolomites," Dunne said.
"The gruppetto started descending and we were hit by the heaviest hailstones I've ever seen. Golf balls.
"All we could do was jump off bikes and look for shelter. I dived into a bush. Cowered there for 20 minutes."
Dunne eventually finished 102nd on the stage in a group just over an hour down on winner Mark Padun (Bahrain Merida).
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