Dowsett crashes out
13 August 2013

Eneco Tour (st. 3)

Post-traumatic arthritis in one thumb for Briton from Movistar Team after falling during stage two of the Eneco Tour

Misfortune struck the Movistar Team during the 2nd stage of the 2013 Eneco Tour, held on Tuesday over 177km from Ardooie to Brussels, with Britain’s Alex Dowsett crashing out of the race 44km into the day’s route, both hands receiving the impact. Dowsett still got back to the bunch before feeling massive pain that ultimately forced him to withdraw.

Preliminary checks on the Essex rider ruled out the dislocation of both of his thumbs initially diagnosed, but did confirm bruises in some fingers of his right hand and a post-traumatic arthritis in the metacarpophalangeal joint of his left thumb. This crash is a huge setback for Dowsett, brilliant winner of the long ITT in the Giro d’Italia and crowned triple national TT champion last June, with his sights until today put on the 13km time trial of Sittard-Geleen scheduled for stage five.

The day’s racing saw another Movistar Team reference dropping out of contention, with Pablo Lastras having a puncture with four kilometers remaining. This way, only three Blue riders -Rojas (15th), Ventoso and Madrazo- made the front group into the uphill finish, won by Frenchman Arnaud Démare (Fdj), who grabbed the leader’s jersey. The Eneco Tour will now travel to the Netherlands for stage three on Wednesday: 187km of pure flat between Oosterhout and Brouwersdam, with the coastal wind as the main enemy.