The impact of the late crash that defined stage 14 of the Giro d’Italia will surely rumble on in the next few days, with small margins of luck making the difference between riders who lost time in their GC campaigns and those who gained.
Outside of the top spots – Isaac del Toro (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) added to his overall lead, and Simon Yates (Visma-Lease a Bike) moved up to second – there were ripples up and down the GC, with the effects of any injuries likely to continue.
Two riders who have already been in the wars this race, Primož Roglič (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) and Egan Bernal (Ineos Grenadiers), were among the GC contenders who crashed on the wet roads in Nova Gorica and subsequently lost time.
Along with the likes of Juan Ayuso (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) and Thymen Arensman (Ineos Grenadiers), both Roglič and Bernal lost 48 seconds to the pink jersey group, taking blows to their GC plans as well as their bodies.
“I have no idea [what happened], everything happened so fast,” Bernal told Eurosport at the finish. “Somebody fell in front, then they crashed behind, and I tried to avoid it, but I couldn’t.
“I don’t know what it looked like on television, but as soon as we entered the circuit, it was super slippery, and there was a lot of tension; everyone wanted to be up front, and obviously, the crash was in the front. We went down hard, I think everyone did, but I hope no one is too hurt.”
Though the Colombian lost a few more seconds, he remains ninth on GC.
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Roglič also crashed, and like Bernal, didn’t actually move on the GC standings, but still will be sore again this evening after several incidents already in this race, which he started as favourite.
However, the Slovenian was balanced as he spoke to national media on the day that the Giro crossed the border into his home country.
“In the end, I have to take it as it is and try to do as much as possible,” Roglič told Val 202. “We knew it would be slippery, so we tried to be in front. We didn’t have everything in control at that moment, but our guys were strong. We did as much as we could. We will work on our plans day by day.”
Whilst several riders lost out, there were others who did, of course, gain, including Derek Gee (Israel-Premier Tech), who made it into the front group and moved up four places on GC to sixth. Richard Carapaz, whose EF Education-EasyPost teammate Kasper Asgreen won the stage, also moved up two spots to fourth overall.
However, even those who gained time were hesitant to revel too much in their advantage, knowing that there is a very fine line between being in front of a crash or behind it.
“We came onto this cobbled section, and there was a pinch point where guys crashed. I was maybe the last guy to get through, or maybe Carapaz was, but it was a really small group,” Gee said at the finish.
The Canadian praised his teammates for helping him stay out of trouble, but was also keen to point out that he, and anyone, could have very easily been on the other side of the split.
“It’s also a credit to the team, they kept me in position,” he said. “That’s what the fight is for, in case something happens, in case there’s a mishap like that. I’ve been on the other end of a lot of them, so obviously it’s unfortunate, but it’s just part of bike racing.”
Though the initial effects on the GC standings are already set, the wider-reaching impact of another crash for several riders will only emerge in the coming days, with bruised riders looking forward to a rest day on Monday to recoup before the really high mountains of the third week.
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