"My race was going perfectly but the crashed ruined my chances"- Alberto Bettiol out of Tirreno-Adriatico following Strade Bianche injuries

Alberto Bettiol had big ambitions before Strade Bianche, the EF Education-EasyPost rider is a native of the zone where the race takes part and wanted to give a win to his local compatriots. He started the race well, even launching an attack that was answered by Tom Pidcock, but a crash after the Monte Sante Marie gravel sector ruined his race.

"I’m okay. I’ve got a headache and I destroyed my helmet, but it could have been far worse. My race was going perfectly but the crashed ruined my chances”, said Bettiol to Gazzetta dello Sport.

Fortunately, it appears that Bettiol, despite dropping out of the race, didn't have serious injuries due to the crash, but the EF Education-EasyPost won't start the Tirreno-Adriatico next Monday, being replaced by Jonathan Caicedo, since an evaluation on the concussion is still ongoing.

“I was with Magnus Sheffield, we were together after the Monte Sante Marie section of gravel. Perhaps he looked around or something and so hit me at speed. I went down hard and I only hit my head. I rode on until the Colle Pinzuto gravel sector, but the team preferred to pull me out of the race for precautionary reasons", he concluded.