After some strong riding in his first Grand Tour appearance, supporting Team DSM’s goals throughout the first seven stages which included defending the pink jersey, Florian Stork unfortunately had to abandon the Giro d’Italia on stage eight this afternoon. Falling sick overnight, Stork was given the clear to start today’s stage with the team’s medical staff closely monitoring the situation but after a fast and hard opening to the stage; he had to step off the bike after around 50 kilometres.
Stork said: “It really sucks to have to leave the race like this. I really was enjoying my first Giro and had some super nice days here supporting Andreas in pink, and I was looking forward to the next weeks and the opportunities there. I wish the guys the best of luck for the rest of the race and I’ll be cheering them on from home.”
Team DSM coach Matt Winston added: “It’s a real shame to lose Florian after some good preparation and we would have had nice chances in the coming weeks for results with him. Unfortunately, this is part of sport when pushing yourself to highest level. We wish Florian the best and a speedy recovery, while we will continue to look for our chances here with the rest of the group.”
Team DSM doctor Camiel Aldershof continued: “Florian was unfortunately sick during the night. We tried to fuel him so that he would be ready for the stage and try to get through it. We continued to monitor him before and during the start, but he was struggling to stomach anything, so in the end he was empty on the bike and couldn’t continue the race. He’ll now go home to rest and recover.”
