The Italian came down in the early stages of the race, after a number of riders collided in front of him. While the others involved in the crash managed to re-start the race, Visconti was left on the ground. He was taken to a nearby hospital with a suspected broken tibia in his right leg.
Movistar later confirmed that Visconti had indeed broken his leg and he will undergo surgery on the injury, this evening. Race Doctor Mark Fisher confirmed that Visconti would have a rod put into the bone and is expected to be in hospital for three to four days.
Race Director Mike Turtur extended his sympathies to Visconti, saying that "it's an unfortunate accident that sometimes happens in racing but we'll all have the support we can to Giovanni and his team as he recovers from his injuries."
Visconti was in Australia to race at the Tour Down Under, which is due to start on January 21.
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