Astana pro shows off some of the worst road rash we've seen; "Hardest day of racing of my life": Giro d'Italia peloton unimpressed by miserable stage 10 (+ S11 updates); Soudal Quick-Step lose FOUR more riders to Covid positives + more on the live blog

This one will stir up bad memories for some of you I'm sure, not least that grim unable to sleep midnight discomfort as you try desperately to awkwardly lie on anything but your stinging, bruised body...

🇫🇷 RACE: @4JDDunkerque

Gleb Syritsa banged-up all over the body but he is a strong fighter. Heal well, Gleb!#4jdd #AstanaQazaqstanTeam pic.twitter.com/SFoVVzvtsP

— Astana Qazaqstan Team (@AstanaQazTeam) May 16, 2023

 As for the shower... can't tell you how relieved I am to have not *touch wood* fallen off of late...

So, no shower and sleep standing up.

— Sharon H (@TrixieBelden_) May 17, 2023

Syrista was one of many riders to fall on yesterday's first stage of the 4 Jours de Dunkerque and sadly, but probably quite sensibly did not start today's second stage. We'll leave the comparisons to a certain round-ball sport's athletes to the replies...

> The Giro just avoids Italy’s deadly floods – but cycling is now feeling impact of climate change

> Tao Geoghegan Hart out of Giro d’Italia after shocking crash which also brought down Geraint Thomas and Primož Roglič

[📷: Zac Williams/SWpix.com]

Now three days on from Remco Evenepoel's shock abandon from the Giro d'Italia, the talk has already turned to where the world champion might appear next, and if a Tour de France debut or Vuelta defence could now be on the cards.

One former rider who does not think his compatriot should go to the Tour is Philippe Gilbert who believes a defence of his rainbow jersey in Scotland in August would be the wiser move.

"Remco should not go to the Tour de France," he said. "I would restart at the Tour of Belgium [on June 14] and the Belgian time trial championship [June 22]. I would then go two or three weeks in altitude to prepare the second part of the season. I would start again at the Tour de Wallonie [July 22] which is the best preparation for San Sebastian [July 29] – and the ideal preparation for the World Championships.

> Check out Remco Evenepoel’s Specialized S-Works Shiv TT

"We know that he wants to double. He wants to win the time trial [world championship], we know that is his big goal. I was in the room with him when he finished second in England [Yorkshire 2019]. It was a big disappointment for him. Being a time trial world champion is very important for him. He could double with the road race with the right preparation."

One man who doesn't want to speculate on the remainder of Remco's season is Patrick Lefevere, the team's boss saying he is "not going to talk" about the Tour or the Vuelta.

"Once he has recovered and once he has digested his disappointment, we'll sit down around a table and draw up a programme," Lefevere said. "The Tour team has not been decided yet, except for a few names. The whole team around Remco is currently still at the Giro. He'll recover first and then we'll sit down together quietly, with Remco's father too. If Remco calls and says, 'I absolutely want to go to the Tour,' then it's something else. But he's not going to do that."

Last week we brought you the news of the DfT's imminent plan for longer lorries on the UK's roads. Cycling UK criticised the plan saying it would see cyclists and pedestrians travel near "longer and more hazardous lorries". Here's an email from a road.cc reader to add another view to the discussion...

I'm a keen cyclist and also a C+E driver [category of HGV licence] so I sort of know both sides of the story. I read your piece about the longer trailers with interest but also disappointed at the lack of understanding.

These trailers have been on trial for over 11 years now. Because of their length they will almost exclusively be used for 'trunking' operations. That is long distance between logistics hubs and industrial estates using mainly motorways and trunk roads.

Greggs will not be using them to deliver to local stores. It's very unlikely they will ever visit areas with a lot of cyclists or pedestrians. Surely anything that reduces traffic numbers and emissions is a good thing if done safely?

We're up to six confirmed Covid abandons at the Giro so far this morning, AG2R Citroën and Team Corratec - Selle Italia confirming that Andrea Vendrame and Stefano Gandin will leave the race ahead of stage 11...

Elsewhere on the illness/injury front, it remains to be seen if Warren Barguil can start today, the Frenchman caught up in a crash yesterday, his team saying they will "see according to the evolution of the pain during the night".

> Giro d'Italia crash chaos as furious Alberto Bettiol taken out by staff member running across road

With another couple of hours until the stage start in Camaiore, we wouldn't bet on those being the last abandons this morning. In total, 13 riders failed to start or finish yesterday's stage. We're already up to six ahead of today's, just 144 riders left for the second and third week and 32 abandons since last weekend.

Erm guys, we might have a problem...

Our team is disappointed to announce that four more riders from its #Giro squad have tested positive for Covid-19 and will leave the race.

Read more about it, here: https://t.co/PdOfCZ7QTI

Photo: @GettySport pic.twitter.com/rI4tN6EOy2

— Soudal Quick-Step Pro Cycling Team (@soudalquickstep) May 17, 2023

 Following on from their team leader's Covid positive on Sunday, a further round of testing for the entire Soudal Quick-Step team and staff resulted in Jan Hirt, Josef Cerny, Louis Vervaeke and Mattia Cattaneo all testing positive.

By my very basic maths, that leaves them with THREE riders for the remaining week and a half... Davide Ballerini, Pieter Serry, Ilan Van Wilder... good luck, fellas...

Team doctor Toon Cruyt said: "After the positive of Remco on Sunday evening, we had two more riders who were feeling unwell on Monday morning, but were negative on antigen tests.

"Therefore a PCR test was carried out on the seven remaining riders, the results of which showed that the four guys were positive. We will continue to monitor and implement our testing protocol on the three riders and staff that remain at the race."