Philippe Gilbert has been ruled out of starting the Giro d’Italia next month, his team have announced. After spending the past 48 hours in hospital and undergoing further medical examinations following his crash in last Sunday’s Amstel Gold, which he won despite a minor right kidney tear, the Belgian has been released by the doctors and is now heading home, together with his family.
After consulting with Quick-Step Floors medical staff, it’s been agreed that the Belgian Champion will stay off the bike for two weeks and fully recover, before resuming training.
This means that he will not line up for the 100th edition of the Giro, which is set to start on May 5th, from Alghero, on the island of Sardinia.
“It’s a big blow for me to miss the Giro, a beautiful race in which I’ve enjoyed success several times in the past, but this kind of injuries are always delicate and it’s recommended to don’t rush things, so extending my recovery period is the best decision we could take,” said Gilbert.
“Despite this setback, I remain upbeat and I now look with even more motivation to the second part of the season.”
That’s a real shame, was good to see him mixing it recently.