As well as sprinters McEwen, Vierhouten, O'Grady, Cooke and Kirsipuu, Liquigas-Bianchi's Stefano Garzelli wasn't anywhere near the startline at the beginning of yesterday's stage in Mezzocorona.
"I hurt my back and my leg when I crashed last week [on Stage 7] and for the last few days, I've been riding in pain, especially in my lower back," Garzelli explained. "We did a scan that showed there is a lot of bruising there. My kidneys have been sore as well, so we think it's better to abandon and get better than risk my health."
