Angel Vicioso (Katusha) has been forced to withdraw from the Giro d’Italia due to the multiple injuries and fractures he sustained in his crash on the descent on Sunday’s stage 9.

The 36-year-old Spaniard, who won a stage in the Giro two years ago, crashed badly on Sunday, hitting the ground rather violently on a descent near the finish. Although he was able to complete the stage, rolling in 177th at 17 minutes 45 seconds, he had sustained very serious injuries. All hopes of resuming the race following the rest day had to be abandoned when medical evaluations showed the extent of his injuries.

Vicioso has broken three ribs plus his wrist. He also suffered shoulder injuries, including a fractured scapula. He will undergo a more complete medical examination later this week, after which his Katusha team will have a clearer picture about when he can return to training and subsequently racing.

The forced withdrawal of the Spaniard is a blow to the Katusha team as he had shown good form earlier in the Giro, coming second behind John Degenkolb (Argos-Shimano, who, incidentally, has also withdrawn from the Giro) on the fifth stage to Matera.