The Giro d’Italia’s mountainous 16th stage from Piazzola sul Brenta to San Valentino proved to be a decisive and destructive turning point in the race, as treacherous weather took its toll on multiple riders, including one of the biggest names in the peloton.
Stage 16 had barely reached its midpoint when the rain-slicked roads led to several crashes. Josh Tarling, who had made the early breakaway, was the first high-profile abandonment. The Ineos Grenadiers rider crashed heavily on a roundabout in the opening 20km, hitting a roadside barrier and ultimately being withdrawn from the race. He was reportedly conscious and speaking, but his injuries are still being evaluated.
Not long after, disaster struck for Primož Roglič. The Slovenian came into the day determined to continue, having battled through multiple crashes and a bruising loss of time on stage 15. He started the stage despite admitting he hadn’t ridden at all during the rest day and was unsure if he’d even be able to finish.
That answer came inside the final 100km.
Photo Credit: GettyOn a slick descent, Roglič was involved in a crash that also took down Richard Carapaz. While Carapaz was able to remount and continue, Roglič lasted only a few hundred metres longer before stepping off and retiring to the Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe team car. It ended his Giro, two weeks after it had started with optimism and two spells in the pink jersey.
It was the third crash of the race for Roglič – he’d already gone down on the gravel stage to Siena, during a recon ride for the Pisa time trial, and again on stage 14. Though the team had confirmed that he would start stage 16, it became clear early on that he was riding in significant pain.
“I couldn’t even ride yesterday,” he had admitted at the start. “I’m just seeing if I can ride the bike today.”
That answer, sadly, was no.
The team released a short message on social media: “The Giro ends early for Rogla, who abandons on Stage 16. Thank you for the fight, Primož, and you’ll be back stronger.”
His withdrawal casts some doubt over his Tour de France participation, but no formal decision has been made.
Earlier in the stage, Alessio Martinelli of VF Group-Bardiani CSF-Faizane also crashed, falling into a ravine. He was later reported to be stable and conscious, having lost consciousness for a time. Martinelli was transported to the hospital by ambulance.
