The Italian was involved in a crash which occurred inside the final hour of racing.
The Saudi Tour marked Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl’s first outing of the season in a country we’ve never visited before, and the team was prominent on the front of the peloton as it contributed to the pace-setting behind the three men who decided to animate the opening stage, the longest of the race.
The trio up the road were easily pegged back by a peloton which became nervous by the minute as they approached a tricky 7.5km gravel section inside the last 30 kilometers of the day. Eventually, the inevitable happened and a crash took place on that unpaved surface, among those to hit the deck being Andrea Bagioli. The youngster remounted and was able to conclude the stage, some 20 minutes behind the bunch from where his teammate Davide Ballerini sprinted to eighth place.
One of the 18 different riders to have won a race for the Wolfpack last season, Andrea was soon assessed by the medical staff, an examination revealing only superficial injuries to his elbow. The 22-year-old has been cleared to start Wednesday’s stage to Abu Rakha, but will be monitored overnight by the team’s doctors.
Photo credit: ©Tim De Waele / Getty Images
