Mikel Landa's participation in the 2018 Vuelta a España is in serious doubt after he sustained an injury in a late crash in the 2018 Clásica San Sebastián on Saturday.
The Basque rider was brought down after Ben King (Dimension Data) fell at the front of the peloton on the approach to the final climb with 19km to go. Landa looked in immediate trouble after hitting the ground, and though he remained conscious, was unable to get up as medics rushed to attend to him.
He was put in a neck brace and on to a stretcher and taken by ambulance to the hospital in Donostia Hospital, where it was confirmed he had a "fracture without displacement of the spinous process in his lumbar vertebra L1."
His Movistar team confirmed that he would return home and require two to three weeks of complete rest, with the Vuelta a España just a few weeks away, starting on August 25.
The 28-year-old, who had a disappointing Tour de France campaign, was aiming to help deliver an overall win for his team alongside Nairo Quintana and Alejandro Valverde. Movistar did not confirm if he would definitely miss the start of the Vuelta.
5 August 2018 28th Clasica San Sebastian BERNAL Egan Arley (COL) Sky Photo : Yuzuru SUNADA
(Image credit: Yuzuru SUNADA)
Meanwhile, Team Sky's young superstar Egan Bernal was also brought down and injured in the same crash. Like Landa, he was unable to move and was loaded on to a stretcher by medics before being moved to hospital.
Get The Leadout Newsletter
The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
The Colombian suffered serious facial trauma in the crash which required surgery, with scans revealing a nasal fracture and a maxillary injury. Sky confirmed that he would be assessed by maxillofacial specialists and Bernal later confirmed on Twitter that he had undergone successful surgery.
Julian Alaphilippe (Quick-Step) won the 221km Clásica San Sebastián, attacking with Bauke Mollema (Trek-Segafredo) on the steep final climb before beating the Dutchman in a two-up sprint for the line.
Thank you for reading 20 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access
Richard is digital editor of Cycling Weekly. Joining the team in 2013, Richard became editor of the website in 2014 and coordinates site content and strategy, leading the news team in coverage of the world's biggest races and working with the tech editor to deliver comprehensive buying guides, reviews, and the latest product news.
An occasional racer, Richard spends most of his time preparing for long-distance touring rides these days, or getting out to the Surrey Hills on the weekend on his Specialized Tarmac SL6 (with an obligatory pub stop of course).
