The first part of a Grand Tour is always fraught with danger, and stage nine to San Vincenzo was no exception. Crashes in the final 15 kilometres took down Spaniard Bingen Fernandez (Cofidis), Christian Pfannberger (Barloworld) and Italian Eros Capecchi (Saunier Duval). While the latter two were able to continue, Fernandez left the race in an ambulance and was later diagnosed with a broken collarbone.
Earlier in the stage, Italian Filippo Savini (CSF Group Navigare) also crashed and abandoned the race, but while he was banged up he had no broken bones.
