Long way round – Charlie Quarterman's circuitous route to the Giro d'Italia

Charlie Quarterman (Corratec-Selle Italia) in the break during stage 6 of the Giro d'Italia
Charlie Quarterman (Corratec-Selle Italia) in the break during stage 6 of the Giro d'Italia (Image credit: Tim de WaeleGetty Images)

The thought of making his Grand Tour debut at the Giro d'Italia in the fragrant month of May must have felt like a fever dream when Charlie Quarterman found himself climbing into the back of an Argentinian ambulance a little over three months ago.

Quarterman and his new Corratec-Selle Italia teammates had been en route to the Vuelta a San Juan when word filtered through that the squad had secured a surprise wildcard invitation to the corsa rosa. The Briton scarcely had time to wrap his head around the idea, however, before a bout of heatstroke forced him to abandon the race on the second day.

Barry Ryan
Head of Features

Barry Ryan is Head of Features at Cyclingnews. He has covered professional cycling since 2010, reporting from the Tour de France, Giro d’Italia and events from Argentina to Japan. His writing has appeared in The Independent, Procycling and Cycling Plus. He is the author of The Ascent: Sean Kelly, Stephen Roche and the Rise of Irish Cycling’s Golden Generation, published by Gill Books.