24-year-old Spaniard Javier Romo has sadly been forced to abandon the 2023 Vuelta a Espana before the start of the second week due to a fractured vertebra suffered in a crash on Sunday's stage 9.
"A fracture on L3 from yesterday's crash will prevent me from continuing on at the Vuelta a Espana," the Astana Qazaqstan Team rider announces sadly on his official Instagram account. "I've enjoyed each day to the fullest and tried my best but some things come and you can't change."
Romo had been riding his first career Grand Tour at the Vuelta a Espana and had been sitting 43rd in the general classification at 37:53 down. Any hopes of helping team leader David de la Cruz to a top 10 finish or even taking a stage win himself are now over though sadly.
"As always... thinking about recovering as soon as possible and coming back better," Romo's Instagram post concludes. "Let's go Astana Qazaqstan Team."