Quick Step rider injured brought down along with Nicolas Roche in stage’s closing kilometres
Andy Capelle (Quick Step) was forced to abandon the fifth stage of the Critérium du Dauphiné after breaking a rib in a crash inside the final 20km. The incident saw a number of riders come down, including Nicolas Roche (AG2R La Mondiale); while the Irishman was able to ride to the finish though, Capelle was taken straight to hospital by ambulance.
On arrival at hospital he was diagnosed with a fractured rib to his left hemi-thorax.
The injury is yet another blow to Cappelle’s first season with Quick Step, having joined from the then Continental Verandas Willems team. It began well with a second place overall in the Tropicale Amissa Bongo in Gabon, but he broke his right collarbone in a crash in the first stage of the Driedaagse van West-Vlaanderen.
On his return to racing the 32-year-old came down with a prostate infection that sidelined him for the whole of the first part of the season.
Cappelle will be forced to rest for 15 days before he can resume training. He’ll hope then to finally put his bad luck behind him and have a better second half to the season.