Lotto-Intermarché celebrates top 10, but also fears for Van Eetvelt after crash

Wednesday in the Giro d’Italia was shaping up to be a promising day for Lennert Van Eetvelt, whose chances kept improving after he joined Enric Mas in the leading group. Unfortunately, the Belgian rider crashed hard during a descent. While his team, Lotto-Intermarché, still saw Simone Gualdi secure a top-ten finish, concerns remain for Van Eetvelt.

After a tough opening phase, the peloton eventually allowed a breakaway of seventeen riders, with Van Eetvelt among them. With the remaining climbs in the final kilometers, he had a solid chance, but those hopes went up in flames after his crash on the descent.

Van Eetvelt quickly got back on his bike, but he could not reconnect with the leaders. In fact, he also lost contact with the peloton and finished completely alone in 50th place, 6 minutes 46 seconds behind winner Jhonatan Narváez (UAE) and more than three minutes behind the main field. He now sits 25th in the general classification.

In a press statement, Lotto-Intermarché announced the following: "Lennert Van Eetvelt suffered a heavy crash in the descent with around 30 kilometres to go. He sustained abrasions to his elbow and forearm and is currently undergoing further medical examinations. More information will be communicated once those examinations have been completed." Hoping it's not too bad for the Belgian!

There was reason for celebration: Gualdi's eighth place, marking his debut in a Grand Tour. "My first top ten in my first Grand Tour, in my own country, feels great. Especially since the first week was not easy," said the 21-year-old Italian after the race.

Initially, Gualdi planned to join the break, but that attempt failed. "It was a real race from kilometer zero today, but my legs weren’t responding. Lenny managed to make the right move at one point and was strong at the front, but unfortunately, he crashed hard," Gualdi recalled.

In the end, the Italian found an extra gear. "When the peloton decided to slow down on the final climb, I didn’t hesitate and immediately launched an attack. I caught two early breakaway riders and eventually finished eighth. I’m very happy with that. Now, of course, I aim for more."