Luke Plapp leaves Tour Down Under after stage 3 crash and extended injuries

Carrying great form and the colours of Australia, Luke Plapp was greatly cheered at the Tour Down Under and had been on the attack on stage 2, proving to have the form to fight for the ochre jersey. However on the third day of racing, one of Team Jayco AlUla's leaders hit the deck hard, and the injuries he suffered force him to abandon the race.

"After monitoring Luke Plapp overnight, unfortunately he will not start today’s fourth stage of the Tour Down Under due to discomfort & ongoing pain from a large amount of wounds," the Australian team shared on social media. It is a very tough hit for a team who has not had the results they were hoping for thus far this week. Plapp presented a lot of road rash on the left side of his body as he crossed the line almost ten minutes down on the day, and it comes as no surprise that hours later the abandon is announced.