Giro d’Italia leader Steven Kruijswijk crashes into snow drift on descent (video)

Steven Kruijswijk has a heart-in-mouth moment on the descent of the Colle dell'Agnello, crashing hard into a snow drift at the side of the road

Steven Kruijswijk had a few moments of panic midway through the stage 19 of the Giro d'Italia, crashing spectacularly on the descent of the Colle Dell'Agnello.

The Dutchman misjudged a corner and crashed hard into a bank of snow at the side of the road, flipping off his bike and landing on his back.

When he got up he realised his bike wasn't working and tried to fix it himself before a neutral service mechanic arrived.

The gearing was still broken when he got back on after a 30-second delay, leaving Kruijswijk spinning in a low gear.

Further down the mountain, Katusha leader Ilnur Zakarin was involved in a nasty crash, leaving him requiring medical attention off the side of the road.

On the climb of the Agnello, Orica-GreenEdge put the peloton to the sword, setting an incredibly high pace which left Kruijswijk without any teammates.

Michele Scarponi (Astana) scaled the mountain to claim the Cima Coppi.

Thank you for reading 20 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access

Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1

*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription

Join now for unlimited access

Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1

Stuart Clarke is a News Associates trained journalist who has worked for the likes of the British Olympic Associate, British Rowing and the England and Wales Cricket Board, and of course Cycling Weekly. His work at Cycling Weekly has focused upon professional racing, following the World Tour races and its characters.