People's Choice Classic

Italian crashes out of Tour Down Under preface, moved to hospital by ambulance - broken tibia in his right leg set to be operated tonight. Rojas takes 5th

It was a bitter start of the 2014 season for the Movistar Team. Despite José Joaquín Rojas’ fifth place in the People’s Choice Classic -a criterium over 25 laps of a renewed circuit in the streets of Adelaide-, into a mass sprint won by German Marcel Kittel (GIA), the telephone squad’s debut on Australian soil was overshadowed by a crash by Giovanni Visconti into the first half of the race.

The Italian rider fell onto the ground after some bikes crossed their ways in the middle of the peloton through a left corner, Visconti left out as the only man unable to continue the race. Helped quickly by the team staff on course and moved to a hospital nearby by ambulance, checks confirmed a broken tibia in his right leg, which will be operated tonight (Australian time).

Tuesday should mark the start of the Tour Down Under -barring any measure from the race organisers to be confirmed tomorrow, fire risk affecting roads to be covered on stage one-, with 135km between Nuriootpa and Angaston including the Menglers Hill just 12k from the finish.