Christian Vande Velde out of the Giro

Team captain Christian Vande Velde crashed out of the Giro in a spill with about 50km to go and suffered serious injuries that will complicate his preparations for the Tour de France. During stage 3 Vande Velde broke two ribs and a severe contusion and sprain to his mid-back, said Garmin team officials. “His front wheel got taken out,” said Garmin director Matt White. “He fell right in the middle of the road. I was with him within 10 seconds because we were the second car today. He was pretty upset. There’s no soft landing when you’re going 50kph.” Officials said it was too early to speculate on how the crash might affect his preparations for the upcoming Tour de France. Broken ribs, however, are a complicated injury and depending on the severity of the injury, make breathing difficult and painful. Vande Velde also has a history of back problems.