The Spanish cyclist Pedro Horrillo has been placed in an induced coma and described as being in a serious condition after crashing badly during the eighth stage of the Tour of Italy from Morbegno to Bergamo.
The 34-year-old crashed on the descent of the Culmine di San Pietro mountain about 70km into the 209km race and was airlifted to hospital in Bergamo.
Horrillo lost blood and suffered multiple fractures and a team spokesman says he has a throat inury and so has breating difficulties.
He says Horrillo will be kept in a coma for 24 hours and the good news is that a scan revealed there had been no brain damage.
