Rome, May 24 (LaPresse) – Giulio Ciccone has withdrawn from the Giro d’Italia following a crash during last stage. Medical examinations at the hospital revealed a significant hematoma in the vastus lateralis muscle of his right quadriceps, along with a minor muscle fascia injury. The rider will need two weeks of rest.
"I have no words. I tried to fight through and finish the stage because I was hoping the hospital tests would show it wasn’t too serious and that I could recover and fight for a stage win, but I immediately felt it was something serious because the pain was too intense, and now we know why. It really hurts to leave the Giro like this, especially with the climbs that still lay ahead and the great team atmosphere we had, not to mention the good position I held in the general classification. Now I need time to recover, and we’ll see about the rest of the season," Ciccone said in a statement.