Tiesj Benoot (Jumbo Visma) entered Strade Bianche as one of the favorites to win, expecting to finish the race waving from the podium, but instead finished at the side of the road after a race car raised its hand to wave the flag.

The injured 2018 winner, who was the victim of a group crash that occurred after the wind disrupted the peloton, abandoned the race with blood dripping from a large gash on his knee. Because of his injury, the rider of Jumbo Visma, who is in good form, will not be able to line up for the seven-stage Tirreno-Adriatico on Monday.

"I rode well. I managed to stay in front on the gravel sections. At the moment of the crash I was at the front of the bunch. I don't think I could have been safer."

Benoot, who moved from Team DSM to Jumbo Visma this season, was pinned under a wheel by a crash.

"Unfortunately, I couldn't avoid the two riders who crashed. The gust of wind sent them all crashing to the pavement."

It was an ill-timed crash and injury for Benoot, who had just started the 2022 season on opening weekend.

In Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, a brutal acceleration in Berendries put him in a great position in front of Mühl van Geraalsbergen, with teammate and eventual winner Wout Van Aert soloing out of the select group. Then on Sunday in the Côtes du Trieu, an attack on the Côtes Brussel-Coone shattered the race.

"The conditions were good and I wanted to make the most of it today," said Benoot after Strade Bianche. 'For now, the important thing is to recover quickly. Right now my back hurts and I can't sleep tonight. My left knee has an open wound and I can't get stitches."

"We need to take it one day at a time and see how it recovers.