Ackermann sprints to Giro stage 11 win after Geoghegan Hart crashes out

:Pascal Ackermann narrowly won Wednesday's stage 11 of the Giro d'Italia after former champion Tao Geoghegan Hart was forced out of the race after a freak crash on a slippery descent with around 70km remaining from the end of the 219km ride to Tortona.

British rider Geoghegan Hart (Ineos Grenadiers), who won the Giro in 2020, was riding with his team mates including overall leader Geraint Thomas, who also hit the deck along with race favourite Primoz Roglic (Jumbo-Visma).

Thomas and Roglic were able to re-join the peloton but Geoghegan Hart, third in the overall standings, was attended to by medics before being carried on a stretcher into an ambulance.

"The Brit will head to hospital for checks and we will have further updates in due course," Ineos Grenadiers said on Twitter.

Shortly afterwards, Movistar rider Oscar Rodriguez suffered a crash in which he came into contact with a roadside sign and was also forced to abandon the race.

UAE Team Emirates rider Ackermann claimed his third career Giro stage win after beating Jonathan Milan (Bahrain Victorious) to the line in a photo finish at the end of the race's longest stage.

This year's weather-affected Giro has been hit with several high-profile withdrawals with former race leader Remco Evenepoel (Soudal Quick-Step) having to abandon after testing positive for COVID-19.

Four of Evenepoel's team mates tested positive for the virus and withdrew from the race earlier on Wednesday.

Thursday's stage 12 is a 179-kilometre ride from Bra to Rivoli.