Cian Uijtdebroeks leaves Giro d’Italia

Visma-Lease a Bike lost yet another Giro d’Italia teammate before Wednesday’s sprint stage in Francavilla al Mare, as the race’s fifth place on GC and best young rider white jersey holder Cian Uijtdebroeks did not start. The Belgian rider who transferred from Bora-Hansgrohe this year had been feeling ill the last couple of days.

🇮🇹 #GirodItalia

The Giro will have to continue without the biggest smile of the peloton 😔. We regret to announce that Cian Uijtdebroeks is forced to abandon the race. Cian did not feel well the past days and after yesterday’s stage, he fell ill. We wish you a speedy recovery 🫶🏼 pic.twitter.com/L80yasqb2j

— Team Visma | Lease a Bike (@vismaleaseabike) May 15, 2024

Uijtdebroeks leaving the race means that despised cat killer Antonio Tiberi takes over the white jersey and Ineos’ Thymen Arensman re-enters the GC top 10.

Uijtdebroeks joins Visma riders Robert Gesink, Christophe Laporte and Stage 9 winner Olav Kooij as Giro abandons.

With the team’s designated GC man out, the outfit made of show of defiance on Wednesday, putting half of its remaining riders, Edoardo Affini and Tim van Dijke, in the day’s breakaway trio.