"We will need to adjust our plan" - Jayco AlUla left rudderless at La Vuelta after departures of Eddie Dunbar and Filippo Zana

Team Jayco AlUla arrived at the 2023 Vuelta a Espana full of home and with Eddie Dunbar as a serious contender for the podium. With both the Irishman and teammate Filippo Zana having to abandon on stage 5 however, where do they go from here?

“Eddie was already suffering some soreness from the crashes during the TTT on stage one and with the crash today, the impact was in a similar area to the first stage, so it was impossible for him to push, impossible for him to pedal," Team Jayco AlUla doctor, Dani Castillo explains to the team's website. "Fortunately, the x-ray doesn’t show any bone injury, unfortunately he can’t ride at the moment, but with some rest and good treatment he will be ok."

Former Italian national champion Zana impressed at the Giro d'Italia earlier this year and had held hopes of being a dark horse for a top 10 in the GC and possibly a stage win. "For Filippo, he started to feel some stomach issues yesterday, we did a Covid test and it was negative. It seems like a gastrointestinal virus and he was really empty," explains Castillo. "He tried to do his best but mid-stage he had no energy to keep riding.”

Having been left rudderless, the team now need to readjust, something that may take a few days to work out properly. “It’s a big loss for the team losing these two guys, especially for what is coming up in the next two weeks. We will need to adjust our plan a little bit, but we are still here with young riders that can learn a lot and for sure this Vuelta is not over yet for us,” concludes Sports Director Pieter Weening.