Juan Ayuso crashes out of Paris-Nice while in the race lead
The Spaniard attempted to continue but his injuries proved too severe
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Spanish star Juan Ayuso has crashed out of Paris-Nice on stage four, while in the lead.
The Lidl-Trek rider was wearing the yellow jersey, having taken it yesterday in the stage three team time trial.
The incident took place away from cameras on a wet stage four with 46km to go. The 23-year-old attempted to keep riding, with his shorts showing visible tears on the left-hand side, but only managed a few yards before dismounting and lying down on the verge, clearly in some distress.
Article continues belowBrandon McNulty (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) and Iván Romeo of Movistar were also involved in the crash, with McNulty ultimately forced to abandon too.
The riders had just descended the first of three categorised climbs of the, the third-cat Côte de la Croix de Cerisiers, before embarking on two bigger ascents – a second and then a first-cat – that would decide the day's result.
Ayuso was near the front, along with rival for the GC Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a Bike), with either looking as though they could make inroads on the GC.
The fourth of eight stages, today's 195km route runs from Bourges to Uchon and marks a watershed that sees the riders leave behind the rolling country of north central France and start to get involved in the proper climbs. Tomorrow they will reach the Massif Central range, before heading on to the Alps for the final two stages.
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It will be a devastating blow to Ayuso, who is riding his first season for the German Lidl-Trek team and was enjoying a fine start. At the Volta ao Algarve – his only other race of the year – he won a stage and the GC and, up to now, Paris-Nice was looking good too.
Ayuso has been taken to hospital, and Lidl-Trek has said it would provide more information about his condition when it became available.
We will have reaction and a report from the stage later this afternoon.
After cutting his teeth on local and national newspapers, James began at Cycling Weekly as a sub-editor in 2000 when the current office was literally all fields.
Eventually becoming chief sub-editor, in 2016 he switched to the job of full-time writer, and covers news, racing and features.
He has worked at a variety of races, from the Classics to the Giro d'Italia – and this year will be his seventh Tour de France.
A lifelong cyclist and cycling fan, James's racing days (and most of his fitness) are now behind him. But he still rides regularly, both on the road and on the gravelly stuff.
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