After his excellent showing in Liege-Bastogne-Liege, Giampaolo Caruso was set to play a key role for Joaquim Rodriguez in the Giro d'Italia but a crash in today's second stage makes his further participation doubtful. Scans didn't rule out fractures and even though the strong Italian will start tomorrow, he may abandon the race on the rest day.

Giampaolo Caruso will take the start in Armagh for the third stage of the Giro d'Italia. After the finish in Dublin, he will undergo a MRI scan to exclude a fracture of the scaphoid in the left hand. X-Rays in Belfast did not reveal but could not exclude a small fracture. Racing with a fracture is impossible but Giampaolo Caruso will take the start with a brace to support the hand.

"The problem is that with a perfect supportive brace it is impossible to brake and handle the handlebars. We will try to create something that supports my hand. I am already happy that my elbow is okay. If I survive tomorrow and if the scan in Dublin gives me the go-ahead, of course I will continue the race. I worked months for this race. The fact that I did 100 kilometers with my injured hand today gives me hope for the near future. We will have to see to tomorrow. After a night it sometimes get worse," said Giampaolo Caruso.

Caruso crashed in the feed zone in Stage two from Belfast to Belfast when a bike from another crashed rider landed in front of his wheels. Two weeks ago Caruso finished 4th in Liège-Bastogne-Liège.