The Italian didn’t get started level 16 on Tuesday morning, along with his staff mentioning ‘sickness’ as the explanation.
Ballerini is the 6th QuickStep rider to make an early go out from the 2023 Giro, with staff chief and pre-race favourite Remco Evenepoel the primary to move after checking out certain for COVID-19 simply after his victory within the level 9 time trial.
Just one level later, they had been down to 3, as no fewer than 4 riders pulled out forward of level 11 after additionally contracting COVID-19: Louis Vervaeke, Josef Cerny, Jan Hirt, and Mattia Cattaneo.
The 3 last riders made it thru the second one week however now Ballerini leaves the staff with simply two for the overall week: Ilan Van Wilder and Pieter Serry.
Van Wilder, who was once Evenepoel’s right-hand guy, sits sixteenth general, whilst Serry has already proven ambitions to get into the breakaway on level 16.
Ballerini was once one in every of 3 non-starters on Tuesday’s large mountain level that finishes on Monte Bondone.
Simon Clarke (Israel-Premier Tech), who got here on the subject of a breakaway level win previous within the race, additionally left thru sickness.
“I’ve been battling some sickness for a few days and it’s not getting any better,” he stated. “Together with the team we have decided that I stop now and go home to recover.”
The different non-starter was once Trek-Segafredo’s Amanuel Ghebreigzabhier, who crashed on level 14 and has been struggling ache in his ribs.
The Giro peloton is right down to 129 riders, shedding 47 for the reason that 176 riders began out simply over a fortnight in the past.
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