XDS-Astana suffers disastrous start with last place in the TTT after big crash
At the opposite end of the results from stage 1 winner Visma-Lease a Bike was XDS-Astana, and while not renowned for its TTT ability, the Kazakh WorldTeam will have hoped to finish a little higher up the standings. However, any aspirations went up in smoke when three out of the team's eight riders hit the ground hard mid-effort.
The crash appears to have been a result of riding over a manhole cover. While the first rider managed it well, the second in line was perhaps unprepared having not seen it coming. All eight riders finished, with Sergio Higuita leading the team home two minutes 18 seconds slower than the stage winners.
The team later confirmed that Nicolas Vinokourov, Harold Tejada and Simone Velasco had had their injuries assessed, and all three "suffered bruises and multiple extensive abrasions."
