Antonio Tiberi injured after bizarre crash across the finish line in UAE Tour time trial 

Antonio Tiberi was left with a deep wound to his knee after a bizarre crash across the finish line in the UAE Tour time trial.

The 19-year-old went down right at the finish line after his run on the 13km lap in the United Arab Emirates, hitting the floor at speed. 

The cause of the crash is still unclear, as Tiberi was riding in a straight line and didn’t suffer any obvious mechanical failures.

Tiberi, who was dazed after the crash, was taken to hospital for stitches after suffering a deep wound to his right knee, Trek-Segafredo said.

A statement from the team said: "Antonio Tiberi suffered a crash as he crossed the finish line. We will keep you updated with his condition when we know more.” 

The team added: “Tiberi is being taken to the hospital where he will receive stitches to a deep wound on his right knee and evaluated for other injuries.” 

Tiberi, the junior time trial world champion, hit the final stretch of the UAE Tour individual time trial with a strong provisional time, but just metres from the line he lost control of the bike, skidding along the floor and across the finish.

Despite the fall Tiberi was the fastest Trek-Segafredo finisher with a time of 14-45, fast enough for a 19th place finish.

The second stage of the 2021 Tour was won by Italian time trial star Filippo Ganna (Ineos Grenadiers), who smashed the field with a time of 13-56, 14 seconds faster than his nearest rival Stefan Bissegger (EF Education-Nippo).

In the battle for the overall title, Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates) moved into the race lead with a storming time trial performance, finishing fourth on the stage. 

>>> Filippo Ganna storms to time trial victory on stage two of UAE Tour 2021 

The day started with the news that Alpecin-Fenix had been forced to withdraw from the race after a member of team staff had tested positive for coronavirus and had been put into isolation.