After Paolo Bettini who, as said in yesterday's article (see link below) didn't take the startline this morning due his left calf problems, Kelme-Costa-Blance lost his best-placed rider overall: Santiago "Santi" Pérez was involved in a crash, together with teammate Isaac Galvez and fellow Spaniard Manuel Calvente (CSC-Tiscali) in the very early part of Stage 8, at about 1145 AM. While the two other Spaniards involved could continue. Pérez (also third in the KOM competition) was taken to the Lucca Hospital. More details likely to come later ... |