Eddie Dunbar and his Team Ineos squad have been hit by its first setback on the Giro; a number of its riders losing time after Tao Geoghegan Hart crashed.
The British rider was 7th overall starting today’s stage
3; some 220km from Vinci to Orbetello.
He crashed with about 50km remaining and then again with
just 4.5km to go. And after the second incident a number of his team mates
waited, including Eddie Dunbar.
Despite the assistance they were able to give, the
sprinters’ teams were piling on pressure at the time on the front. It meant no
way back for Geoghegan Hart and he eventually lost 1:28.
No fewer than four other Team Ineos riders waited for him and all lost the same time; Dunbar among them.
Pavel Sivakov and Christian Knees were the only Team
Ineos riders to finish in the bunch.
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That means Sivakov, the team’s co-leader, is now best
placed overall; in 19th at 1:01. And Geoghegan Hart has slipped to 57th at
2:03.
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The team lost its intended leader Egan Bernal just before
the race. Dave Brailsford had said the riders who were in the line-up would
have a freer hand as a result.
However, the fact so many of them waited for Geoghegan
Hart today is a strong indication they are willing to thrown their forces behind
one rider.
Dr Derick Macloed of Team Ineos said Geoghegan Hart was cut up but the situation could have been much worse.
"Tao fell twice - the first time he suffered an
abrasion to his right knee,” he said of the dramatic day.
“Then when he fell towards the end of the stage he
suffered multiple abrasions and he’s been patched up and he will start
recovering now.
“There’s no head injury and nothing to indicate anything
is broken. It could have been a lot worse.”
Tomorrow’s stage 4 takes the riders 235km from Orbetello
to Frascati. There is only one categorised climb – a cat 4 crested after
32km.
However, the terrain looks a bit lumpier than the past
two days. That is especially so in the final 30km before an uphill finish which
looks like one for the punchy climbers.
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