Sam Bennett has pulled out of Paris-Nice after suffering a nasty crash on Stage 3.
Bennett required stitches in his hand after being thrust into the barriers during the sprint finish, won by Garcia Cortina (Bahrain–McLaren).
Although he initially vowed to race on, the 29-year-old did not start Stage 4’s time trial on Wednesday.
“Following his crash yesterday, Sam Bennett has again been assessed by our medical team and it has been decided that he will not take to the start of Paris-Nice stage four today and he is instead travelling home,” read a team statement.
“We wish Sam a speedy recovery.”
It compounded a difficult stage for the Irishman after he was penalised for barging Nairo Quintana (Arkea–Samsic) while jostling for position.
Paris-Nice is expected to be ridden to completion despite concerns from the peloton that the race would be wiped out by the coronavirus.
“If you look around in the peloton, 90 percent assume that we will not get to Nice,” Jasper Stuyven (Trek–Segafredo) was quoted as saying by Het Laatste Nieuws this week.
The race concludes in Nice on March 15.
