Stage 7 crash hits Bahrain and UAE hard as Haig DNFs, Almeida banged up
A late-stage crash in the lead group during the run-in to the final ascent of Mur-de-Bretagne has cost the Bahrain Victorious team dearly. Jack Haig and team leader Santiago Buitrago both fell heavily in a chain-reaction crash that took down approximately 10 riders at the back of the peloton of 40-odd riders.
Haig abandoned, and Buitrago was unsteady as he was helped to his feet. He finished nearly 13 minutes down and is all but out of the general classification. Also among the fallers was key UAE Team Emirates-XRG lieutenant João Almeida. The Portuguese all-rounder finished fourth in last year's Tour and is set to play a key role for defending Tour champ Tadej Pogačar.
After the stage, UAE's team doctor Adriano Rotunno said that Almeida had "an uncomplicated left-sided rib fracture, as well as some profound abrasions to his body," but was clear for concussion symptoms. "The next few days will be difficult for him, but at this point, he should be able to start tomorrow's stage."
