Rigoberto Uran was the biggest name of those who had to abandon during stage 6 of the Vuelta after a huge pile-up in the peloton.
The pile-up involved riders from EF Education First, Deceuninck-Quick-Step, CCC, Lotto Soudal and Sunweb, but the carnage was especially tough on EF Education First.
Uran and Hugh Carthy had to withdraw and were taken immediately to the Hospital General Universitario de Castellón, where further examinations revealed broken left clavicles for both. Sergio Higuita and Logan Owen also fell heavily, but were able to continue.
The high-speed fall saw several more riders crash, including former leader Nicholas Roche (Team Sunweb) and Victor de la Parte (CCC), who also abandoned.
“Hugh has broken his left collarbone and will need surgery to repair it,” said Rick Morgan, the team’s doctor at the race. “Rigo has also broken his left collarbone, just past the plate that was placed on the bone from the break he suffered in March (at Paris-Nice). He has also broken his shoulder blade in several places.”
Just as the final moves were about to unfold in the breakaway, Tejay van Garderen appeared to over-cook a sweeping right-hander as he was at the nose of the leading group. He fell heavily into a rocky ditch and brush alongside the road.
The American has pain in one of his fingers and his continuation will be confirmed before the start of the seventh stage of the race.
“It was human error, caused by a rider from Jumbo-Visma, who got scared in the corner, braked suddenly, and we hit him from behind, causing a big pileup,” Higuita said. “We crashed as well, and it really cost us a lot.”
