Gianni Moscon abandoned Tirreno-Adriatico due to ‘feeling strange’ after crash
The Italian pulled out of the week-long race due to an unknown ailment
Gianni Moscon pulled out of Tirreno-Adriatico due to “feeling strange” after a crash earlier in the season, his sports director has said.
The Team Sky rider pulled out of the Italian stage race after stage two, having struggled with his form since a crash at the UAE Tour earlier this month.
Moscon will return home and undergo further tests, as he hopes to ride the Northern Classics in the coming weeks.
Sky sports director Matteo Tossato told Italian newspaper La Gazzetta Dello Sport: “Unfortunately, after the crash at the UAE Tour he didn’t recover well.
“He has nothing broken but he feels strange. He says his legs always feel stiff, that they don’t loosen up while pedalling.
“We did all the checkups but that crash did something to him and we could already see it at Strade Bianche.
Get The Leadout Newsletter
The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
“Even at the [Tirreno-Adriatico] team time trial, we could see that it was not the usual Gianni.”
The 24-year-old was caught in a number of crashes in the UAE Tour, the worst of which came on stage six during the run to the Jebel Jais summit finish.
Tosatto said he came down hard on his right side after he hit a cat’s eye.
He was eating at the time of the crash and so only had one hand on the handlebars, falling while travelling at speed in the bunch.
>>> Sam Bennett makes late surge to take Paris-Nice 2019 stage six as Kwiatkowski retains lead
Tosatto added: “After that he didn’t feel right, he didn’t feel like the usual Gianni.
“He recovered but for days he had been saying something was wrong, like there was some limitation.
“We have to allow him to recover and make further checks when he returns home.”
Moscon is due to ride a full spring Classics schedule, starting with Milan-San Remo and on to the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix.
His Grand Tour calendar will see him ride the Giro d’Italia in support of Colombian talent Egan Bernal.
Thank you for reading 20 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access
Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription
Join now for unlimited access
Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
Alex Ballinger is editor of BikeBiz magazine, the leading publication for the UK cycle industry, and is the former digital news editor for CyclingWeekly.com. After gaining experience in local newsrooms, national newspapers and in digital journalism, Alex found his calling in cycling, first as a reporter, then as news editor responsible for Cycling Weekly's online news output, and now as the editor of BikeBiz. Since pro cycling first captured his heart during the 2010 Tour de France (specifically the Contador-Schleck battle) Alex covered three Tours de France, multiple editions of the Tour of Britain, and the World Championships, while both writing and video presenting for Cycling Weekly. He also specialises in fitness writing, often throwing himself into the deep end to help readers improve their own power numbers. Away from the desk, Alex can be found racing time trials, riding BMX and mountain bikes, or exploring off-road on his gravel bike. He’s also an avid gamer, and can usually be found buried in an eclectic selection of books.
-
‘To find out post-accident that I would be in a wheelchair… I felt like my life was over’ - How adaptive bikes give spinal cord injury survivors their lives back
The High Fives Foundation provides athletes with spinal cord injuries with adaptive bikes and bike camps across the country.
By Kristin Jenny Published
-
'I got left out' - How one contractless pro is fighting to get back to the WorldTour
Giro d'Italia stage winner Lukas Pöstlberger might be without a team, but he's determined to get back to the top
By Tom Davidson Published
-
'I’m just here to enjoy it': Tom Pidcock on his surprise Paris-Roubaix appearance
British rider was a late addition to the Ineos Grenadiers team for the race across the pavé
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
The art of peaking with Geraint Thomas: 'It’s easy to take for granted that 9 times out of 10 I hit my goals'
The Welshman also calls for better governance in the sport to help it grow further
By Chris Marshall-Bell Published
-
Ineos Grenadiers’ 500th victory was claimed by a woman; why do they still not have a team?
The British squad is one of the richest in cycling - but Ineos still won’t stump up for a women’s team
By Adam Becket Published
-
'This is so much more than a number': Six of the best Ineos Grenadiers wins as team claims 500th race victory
Pauline Ferrand-Prévot took the 500th team win at the weekend
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
Tom Pidcock 'wouldn’t be surprised' to see attacks before the Poggio at Milan-San Remo
British rider will lead the line for Ineos Grenadiers alongside Filippo Ganna
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
Jonas Vingegaard wins Tirreno-Adriatico as Jonathan Milan dashes to victory on final day
Dane continues perfect season towards Tour de France
By Tom Davidson Published
-
Jonathan Milan wins from gruelling bunch sprint on stage four of Tirreno-Adriatico
Italian pips Jasper Philipsen on the line to take the race lead
By Tom Davidson Published
-
Jasper Philipsen opens season account with victory on stage two of Tirreno-Adriatico
"Sprinting is my talent," says Belgian after comfortable win in Follonica
By Tom Davidson Published