Movistar's Nairo Quintana, winner of this year's Giro d'Italia and who started the Vuelta a Espana as favourite to win the race, has abandoned this afternoon after his second crash in two days.
The Colombian, runner-up to Sky's Chris Froome at last year's Tour de France, sustained what is thought to be a broken collarbone following a crash early on in today's 153.4 kilometre Stage 11 from Pamplona to Santuario de San Miguel de Aralar.
He has been taklen to the university hospital of Navarre for assessment, and his Movistar team tweeted that the rider "feels pain in his right-hand shoulder, [and] has been moved by ambulance to a medical center to check on any fractures."
Initial reports suggest that a number of riders came down, as well as a media motorbike, although there is no indication as yet of whether the presence of the latter may have been a factor in the incident.
Quintana crashed heavily in yesterday's individual time trial and lost the leader's jersey to Tinkoff-Saxo's Alberto Contador – who, like Froome, is only riding the Vuelta due to an early departure from the Tour de France due to injuries sustained in a crash.
Movistar team mate Alejandro Valverde moved up to second overall yesterday, and will now be the focus of the team's challenge for the overall.

6 thoughts on “Breaking news: Nairo Quintana out of Vuelta after crash”
Breaking News. Ba-dum Tish.
Breaking News. Ba-dum Tish.
Bummer.
I took him out for
Bummer. 🙁
I took him out for the ITT but put him back in for today and the rest of the Vuelta as he had nothing to lose and could have produced some great results.
Get well soon Nairo Quintana.
I know how he feels, except i
I know how he feels, except i wasn’t in the vuelta, or a pro, or talented, or an amazing climber, but that aside the similarities are uncanny.
That’s 2014 over, at least we know he’s going to be a back fighting next year, what a rider, except for this braking skills.
hope this vuelta still has plenty of fighting over the lead.
Simmo72 wrote:…. That’s
I was watching ITV4 Vuelta coverage last evening and was intrigued by the comments about the brakes on TT bikes being compromised by the aero requirements. Not sure how valid the point was.
As far as I can see he was distracted going into a tightening corner because he was fiddling with his right shoe cover. But then I’m also not a pro rider so could well be wrong.
jova54 wrote:Simmo72
To be fair, Roger Hammond, not a man prone to hyperbole or embellishment, seemed to back up the diagnosis.
If Roger said black was white i’d be inclined to agree with him.
The multimount is
The multimount is interesting, just what I’m looking for when commuting on the ‘nice’ bike. But recharging the light would be a chore, seems you’d either have to take the whole bike near a power point, or remove the mount and take it to the power point.