Jhonatan Narváez crashes out of the TDU
Defending champion of the Santos Tour Down Under, Jhonathan Narváez (UAE Team Emirates-XRG), is out of the race following a crash on Saturday's stage 4.
The Ecuadorian champion, who was sitting second overall behind teammate Jay Vine, came down within the first 5 km of the stage. He was the only rider to crash, and was quickly attended to by medical staff.
The extent of Narváez's injuries is unclear at the time of writing, but he was seen undergoing a concussion protocol before abandoning the race.
UPDATE: UAE confirmed on Saturday evening that Narváez suffered several fractures in the fall.
“Narváez was taken to hospital for precautionary spinal and neurological assessment," said Dr Adrian Rotunno, medical director of UAE Team Emirates-XRG. "He has sustained several stable thoracic vertebrae compression fractures that will not require surgery at this stage. He is currently stable and will be kept in hospital for further observation.”
❤️🩹 We already have some drama in this stage. 2nd in GC, 🇪🇨 Jhonatan Narvaez was involved in a crash, and the Ecuadorian is undergoing a concussion protocol.
— Santos Tour Down Under 🚴🚴♀️ (@tourdownunder) January 23, 2026
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