Bradley Wiggins crashes as Adam Hansen wins Giro stage seven

Bradley Wiggins (Sky) lost more time on his key rivals in the Giro d'Italia after crashing on the rain-drenched roads of stage seven to Pescara. 

Wiggins lost control on a treacherous descent inside the final 10km of a tumultuous stage, hitting the tarmac and gingerly making his way to the finish over one minute down on Ryder Hesjedal (Garmin-Sharp), Vincenzo Nibali (Astana) and Michele Scarponi (Lampre-Merida). 

Lotto-Belisol's Adam Hansen took a rare solo win as the last remaining

rider from the day's break while Movistar's Benat Inxausti moved into

the race lead.

Wiggins however now sits outside the top 20 of the overall

classification going into tomorrow's highly anticipated time trial stage, 1'27" down on second place Nibali.

It was a day that lived up to its billing as having the potential for a GC upset. After Hansen surged clear with 25km to go and the rest of the day's break had been swallowed by the bunch, riders began dropping like flies on the slippy, sinuous roads through the South of Italy.

Nibali was the first to push it on a corner, pushing it too far and completing part of the descent somewhat closer to the ground than he'd initially anticipated.

Yet Wiggins, along with Sky teammates Rigoberto Uran and Sergio Henao, came off the worst of the favourites. The Olympic champion looked to be in some discomfort once he remounted, with his right knee and elbow appearing to be the source of the pain. 

Only time will tell how seriously the crash and lost time will affect Wiggins' chances in the all important time trial tomorrow. 

Results

Giro d'Italia 2013, stage seven: San Salvo to Pescara, 177km

1. Adam Hansen (Lotto-Belisol) in 4-35-49

2. Enrico Battaglin (Bardiani Valvole-CSF Inox) at 1-07

3. Danilo Di Luca (Vini Fantini-Selle Italia)

4. Mauro Santambrogio (Vini Fantini-Selle Italia)

5. Damiano Caruso (Cannondale)

6. Cadel Evans (BMC)

7. Stefano Pirazzi (Bardiani Valvole-CSF Inox)

8. Arnold Jeannesson (FDJ)

9. Pieter Weening (Orica-GreenEdge)

10. Ryder Hesjedal (Garmin-Sharp) all at s.t.

Overall classification after stage seven

1. Benat Inxausti (Movistar) in 28-30-04

2. Vincenzo Nibali (Astana) at 5 secs

3. Ryder Hesjedal (Garmin-Sharp) at 8 secs

4. Giampaulo Caruso (Katusha) at 10 secs

5. Mauro Santambrogio (Vini Fantini-Selle Italia) at 13 secs

6. Cadel Evans (BMC) at 16 secs

7. Robert Gesink (Blanco) at 19 secs

8. Ivan Santaromita (BMC) at 28 secs

9. Pieter Weening (Orica-GreenEdge) at 29 secs

10. Robert Kiserlovski (Radioshack-Leopard) at 34 secs

Others

23. Bradley Wiggins (Sky) at 1-32

Pim Ligthart leads the escape group

Adam Hansen goes solo

Ryder Hesjedal

Rigoberto Uran and Sergio Henao pace Bradley Wiggins after his crash

Adam Hansen wins

Bradley Wiggins finishes

Benat Intxausti in the race lead

Giro d'Italia 2013: Previews and race info

Giro d'Italia 2013: British TV schedule

Giro 2013: 10 things you need to know

Giro d'Italia 2013: The Big Preview

Giro d'Italia 2013: Stage reports

Stage six: Cavendish wins second Giro sprint

Stage five: Degenkolb avoids crash to take win

Stage four: Battaglin sprints to first Giro stage win

Stage three: Paolini takes charge

Stage two: Sky wins team time trial

Stage one: Cavendish wins opener

Giro d'Italia 2013: Photo galleries

Photos by Graham Watson

Stage six gallery

Stage five gallery

Stage four gallery

Stage three gallery

Stage two gallery

Stage one gallery

Team presentation gallery