Rohan Dennis becomes first rider to abandon Giro d'Italia after crosswind crash

Rohan Dennis (BMC Racing) has become the first rider to abandon the 2017 Giro d'Italia after he pulled out of the race on stage four.

The Australian rider crashed in the final 10km of stage three as crosswinds ripped the race apart, losing more than five minutes in the process, and has now abandoned the race after not recovering from his injuries.

Dennis had gone into the race with high confidence after a decent performance in the Tour of the Alps, and had said before the start of the season that he would be going into the Italian Grand Tour with thoughts of learning what he was capable of over the course of the three weeks.

However, the 26-year-old experienced a steep learning curve on stage three when he clipped the wheel of a Bardiani CSF rider while trying to make it across to the front group as Quick-Step Floors split the peloton in the final 10km.