Isaac del Toro had been on a roll this year, winning both the UAE Tour and Tirreno-Adriatico and finishing on the podium of Strade Bianche, but the young Mexican’s strong early season hit a bump on Wednesday’s third stage of Itzulia Basque Country as last year’s Giro d’Italia runner-up crashed out.
Del Toro was in eighth place on GC going into the third stage. The peloton was chasing a medium-sized breakaway and climbing Cat. 2 Barrerilla when del Toro crashed with fifth place Ben Tulett and sixth place Alex Baudin. He tried to carry on but was too hurt to continue.
Mikel Landa, victim of a crash on Tuesday, did not start Stage 3.
Whether del Toro’s injuries will keep him out of the Ardennes Classics is unclear. The first one, Amstel Gold Race, is on April 19.
Paul Seixas leads Primož Roglič by almost two minutes at the top of the GC.