E3 Harelbeke
Movistar Team duo affected with Malori into big, initial pile-up of first Belgian WorldTour event of the season. Quintana ends pavé recon with no injuries
Bad luck stroke again the Movistar Team, less than 24 hours after Pablo Lastras's big crash in Catalunya, at the 39th kilometer of the E3 Harelbeke, second cobblestone race for the Blues this week and the biggest warm-up for the Ronde van Vlaanderen next Sunday. A mass crash into the Haaghoek section affected three of the telephone squad's riders: Andrey Amador, Adriano Malori and Imanol Erviti. While the Italian was able to ride on, Andrey and Imanol were transferred to a medical center with several blows and bruises.
While Erviti went mainly unscathed through the process, with some stitches and a slightly imflammated ankle and knee, Amador had more severe wounds in his elbow, hip and a finger. The pain will make both the 'tico', who sported a big wandage in his right arm after the explorations, and the Spaniard stay into doubt for Sunday's Gent-Wevelgem -Dowsett, Gadret, Lobato, Sanz, Sütterlin and Ventoso are expected to join him-, depending on his recovery.
In turn, Nairo Quintana finished his test over the pavé with no injuries, dropping out with just over 60km from the end to avoid any further risks. Gorka Izagirre -the most visible of the Blues- and John Gadret came into the first big bunch, 3'21" behind Geraint Thomas (SKY).