MONTECASSINO, Italy (AP) — Overall leader Michael Matthews claimed his first individual victory on the sixth stage of the Giro d’Italia Thursday but the day was marred by a crash which left Giampoalo Caruso seriously injured.
The incident occurred on the approach to the final climb and involved a number of cyclists, but Caruso was the most seriously affected and the Katusha cyclist was taken to hospital in an ambulance.
Caruso remained conscious but static on the road for a long while before the ambulance arrived.
The crash conditioned the rest of the race and Matthews won from a four-man breakaway, coming up the inside of Cadel Evans’ wheel to take victory on the longest stage of this year’s Giro, a 257-kilometer (160-mile) route.
Tim Wellens was second, with Evans third.
