Page 21 - ARUBA TODAY

A22 SPORTS
Monday 15 May 2017
Quintana takes Giro lead as crash slows other contenders

ROCCAMORICE, Italy (AP) just before the climb — rid- Yates was third.
— Nairo Quintana rode ers in the main pack made Thomas, who has been
away from his main rivals contact with a police mo- Chris Froome’s best sup-
up the grueling climb to torcycle stopped along- port rider during his three
Blockhaus to win the ninth side the road, prompting Tour de France victories,
stage of the Giro d’Italia the crash that involved was aiming for his first big
and take the leader’s pink Thomas, Landa, individual success.
jersey in a leg that was Yates and about a dozen Yates was looking to im-
marred by a mass crash in- other riders. prove on his fourth-place
volving a police motorbike. All three of the overall con- result in last year’s Tour.
The crash Sunday virtu- tenders got back on their “It shouldn’t (happen),”
ally ended the overall title bikes but Landa appeared Thomas said of the crash.
hopes of Sky teammates to be in severe pain, Yates “It’s ridiculous. My shoulder
Geraint Thomas and Mikel had his knee bloodied and popped out. ... Race over.
Landa, plus Orica-Scott’s Thomas’ jersey and shorts It’s really disappointing.”
Adam Yates. were shredded. The climb lasted 13 kilo-
Quintana, the Colombian Immediately after the meters (eight miles) at an
who won the 2014 Giro crash, Nairo Quintana’s average gradient of nine
and was twice runner-up Movistar team set a blis- percent with stretches at
in the Tour de France, fin- tering pace at the front, 14 percent.
ished 24 seconds ahead which prompted previous The stage marked the 50th
of Thibaut Pinot of France, leader Bob Jungels to drop anniversary of Eddy Mer-
who edged Tom Dumou- off during the early stages ckx’s first Grand Tour victo-
lin of the Netherlands in a of the climb. ry in a stage at Blockhaus,
sprint for second. It didn’t take long for Quin- which is located in the
Bauke Mollema crossed Colombia’s Nairo Quintana wears the pink jersey of the overall tana, Nibali and Pinot to Abruzzo region.
fourth and two-time Giro leader as he stands on the podium after winning the 9th stage form a three-man group in After a rest day Monday,
of the Giro d’Italia, Tour of Italy cycling race, from Montenero di
champion Vincenzo Nibali Bisaccia to Blockhaus, Sunday, May 14, 2017. the lead. the Giro resumes Tuesday
came fifth. Associated Press Quintana attempted sev- with a 39.8 (25-mile) individ-
“I showed that I’m happy eral attacks before finally ual time trial from Foligno
with my legs and the legs of last month. now.” pulling away on his own to Montefalco through the
my teammates,” Quintana “There’s still a long way to In the overall standings, and then Nibali eventually Sagrantino winemaking re-
said. “The whole team was go in the Giro,” Quintana Quintana leads Pinot by 28 dropped further back. gion in Umbria.
strong and I was strong.” said. “We’ll get to know seconds and Dumoulin by Yates finished about 4 1/2 Then there is another moun-
Quintana dedicated his in the coming days if the 30 seconds. minutes behind and Thom- tainous stage Wednesday
victory to 2011 Giro cham- 30-second lead I have over Mollema is fourth, 51 sec- as crossed more than five before the Alps next week-
pion Michele Scarponi, Tom Dumoulin is much or onds behind, and Nibali is minutes back. end.
who died after a collision little, but I feel good. That’s fifth, 1:10 back. Entering the stage, Thomas The 100th Giro ends in Mi-
with a van while training the most important for With 15 kilometers to go — stood second overall and lan on May 28.q

NASCAR’s Aric Almirola out of
hospital after fracturing vertebra

ly flipping it over. Safety en place along the wall.
crews removed the top of “That was scary,” Clint
Almirola’s car so they could Bowyer said. “You hate to
remove him, and he was see anybody that you race
placed on a backboard against and know, know
and taken to the infield their kids and everything
care center. He was then else, get cut out like that.
airlifted to the hospital, It’s scary for everybody.”
conscious and alert, and Almirola’s injury is similar
doctors there diagnosed a to one suffered by Denny
compression fracture of his Hamlin in a 2013 wreck in
T5 vertebra. Richard Petty California, where he made
Motorsports said in a state- contact with Logano’s car
ment Sunday that Almirola on the final lap and struck
was mobile and returning the inside wall near pit
to his home in North Caro- road. Like Almirola, Hami-
lina. He will be examined lin’s car was lifted off the
A racing official looks over the car of Aric Almirola after the roof was taken off to remove Almirola, further by doctors in Char- ground by the force of the
following a wreck during the NASCAR Monster Cup auto race at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City, lotte. The wreck with 67 impact. Hamlin suffered
Kan., Saturday, May 13, 2017. laps remaining in Saturday a compression fracture to
Associated Press night’s race, which was his L1 vertebra, which is in

DAVE SKRETTA after he fractured a verte- him and Patrick into the won by Martin Truex Jr., the lower back, while Almi-
AP Sports Writer bra during a fiery wreck at wall entering the first turn. cast such a debris field that rola’s injury is behind his
KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — Kansas Speedway. Almirola had no time to the race was red-flagged chest. It wound up keep-
NASCAR driver Aric Almirola Almirola was trailing Joey check up and plowed into for nearly 30 minutes. That ing Hamlin out of his car for
was released from the Uni- Logano and Danica Pat- Logano’s car, the force of gave plenty of other drivers four races, and he needed
versity of Kansas Medical rick when a broken brake the impact lifting his No. 43 a chance to contemplate a relief driver when he final-
Center on Sunday, a day rotor on Logano’s car sent car into the air and near- the carnage that had tak- ly returned at Talladega.q