"The knee pain grew worse and worse" - Simon Yates' doctor justifies Briton's abandon

Simon Yates has been one of the leading figures both going into, and during the 2022 Giro d'Italia, however his stint in the race came to a premature ending as the Team BikeExchange - Jayco rider left the race during stage 17.

Team BikeExchange - Jayco's doctor Matteo Beltemacchi has confirmed that this decision comes off the back of a knee injury that Yates obtained during a crash in the opening week: “Yates’ fall on Mount Etna and subsequent knee problem weighed down on the rider for all following stages of the Giro d’Italia."

According to Beltemacchi, this included the second week in which Yates took a strong win in Torino. Yates showed signs of brilliancy after his crash, however the general classification ambitions were wrecked in stage nine where he failed to keep up with the riders who are currently in the fight for the race win.

"Despite daily therapy and Simon’s tenacity, that resulted in a second stage win, the knee pain grew worse and worse, eventually leading to the decision for his retirement from the race," he concluded. Yates is now set to take a resting period before focusing on the second half of the season, where the Tour de France is a goal.