Kittel forced out of Giro d’Italia with fever

The Giant-Shimano rider secured back-to-back victories in this year’s Giro, claiming stage two and three, but has been struck down with fever and cannot continue.

After an impressive win in Dublin in which he secured victory in the technical finish despite losing his team-mates – finishing ahead of Team Sky’s Ben Swift and Cannondale’s Elia Viviani – the German was favourite to make it three in-a-row in Bari.

However, the 26-year-old has opened the door for the other sprinters in the peloton to claim the win after his announcement, of which he made on his Twitter account.