Yates out of Giro as Magnier wins third stage

Britain's Adam Yates has pulled out of the Giro d'Italia after suffering concussion in a heavy crash on Saturday.

Yates, 33, hit a barrier at high speed in a huge crash on a wet descent that involved about 30 riders. Two of his team-mates suffered fractures and were taken to hospital.

Although Yates managed to finish the stage to Veliko Tarnovo in Bulgaria, he lost 14 minutes to the leaders.

His team UAE Team Emirates-XRG said, external: "Adam Yates suffered heavy abrasions and a laceration to his left ear.

"He was initially assessed on site for concussion and cleared to continue, but subsequently he has shown delayed concussive symptoms. He will not take the start of stage three."

Sunday's third stage to the Bulgarian capital Sofia was won by France's Paul Magnier by inches in a bunch sprint to add to his opening-stage win on Friday.

The 22-year-old Soudal-Quick Step rider retained the cyclamen jersey after timing his launch perfectly to overcome Italian powerhouse - and favourite for the cyclamen points jersey overall - Italy's Jonathan Milan of Lidl-Trek.

The Netherlands' Dylan Groenewegen of Unibet Rose Rockets was third, half a wheel behind.

In a 175km stage that is the final of three in Bulgaria for the Italian three-week race's Grande Partenza, there was little incident as the rain held back over the Borovets mountain pass.

Uruguayan Guillermo Thomas Silva of XDS Astana retains the overall leader's pink jersey after winning Saturday's eventful wet hilly stage, putting paid to Yates' chances of pink.

The remaining contenders for overall victory, including red-hot favourite Denmark's two-time Tour de France winner Jonas Vingegaard of Visma-Lease a Bike, all made it to Sofia unscathed.

This is the first Grand Tour that Yates has contested that he will not finish. He has seven top-10 finishes to his name overall in Grand Tour races.

More pertinently, Yates' palmares lacks the decoration of his twin brother Simon, who won last year's Giro in spectacular, redemptive fashion for Visma-Lease a Bike.

The win came seven years after Simon had capitulated on the same mountain pass in which he won so imperiously and unexpectedly last year.

While Simon retired in January this year, having also won the 2018 Vuelta a Espana Grand Tour and a total of 11 Grand Tour stage wins, Adam has won just two Grand Tour stages, including a stage of the Tour de France that saw him wear the yellow jersey.

Adam has suffered a concussion before after a harrowing crash during the 2024 UAE Tour, in which his head hit the road with force following a tangle in the peloton on a dusty highway.

Yates subsequently told BBC Sport he "doesn't remember any of it" and that he "hit his head pretty hard and knew something wasn't right".

Safety in cycling has come under recent scrutiny following several cases of undiagnosed concussions to riders and the high-profile deaths of two Swiss riders in separate crashes: 18-year-old Muriel Furrer at the 2024 Road World Championships and Gino Mader during the 2023 Tour de Suisse.

Yates' team-mates Jay Vine of Australia and Marc Soler of Spain were badly hurt in the crash. Vine suffered concussion and an elbow fracture while Soler has a pelvic fracture.

The team said Yates, Vine and Soler would be kept under observation by medical staff before travelling home in the coming days to recover.

Giro d'Italia stage three results

1. Paul Magnier (FRA/Soudal-Quick Step) 4hrs 9mins 42secs

2. Jonathan Milan (ITA/Lidl-Trek) same time

3. Dylan Groenewegen (NED/Unibet Rose Rockets) "

4. Madis Mihkels (EST/EF Education-EasyPost) "

5. Matteo Malucelli (ITA/XDS Astana) "

6. Erlend Blikra (NOR/Uno-X Mobility) "

7. Pascal Ackermann (GER/Jayco AlUla) "

8. Davide Ballerini (ITA/XDS Astana) "

9. Tobias Lund Andresen (DEN/Decathlon-CMA CGM) "

10. Enrico Zanoncello (ITA/Bardiani CSF-7 Saber) "

Giro d'Italia general classification results after stage three

1. Guillermo Silva Thomas (URU/XDS Astana) 13hrs 10mins 5secs

2. Florian Stork (GER/Tudor Pro Cycling) +4secs

3. Egan Bernal (COL/Netcompany INEOS) same time

4. Thymen Arensman (NED/Netcompany INEOS) +6secs

5. Giulio Ciccone (ITA/Lidl-Trek) same time

6. Jan Christen (SWI/UAE Team Emirates-XRG) +10secs

7. Martin Tjotta (NOR/Uno-X Mobility) same time

8. Johannes Kulset (NOR/Uno-X Mobility) "

9. Enric Mas (SPA/Movistar Team) "

10. Lennert van Eetvelt (BEL/Lotto Intermarche) "