Difficult time for the young British talent Lukas Nerurkar , forced to abandon the Trofeo Laigueglia following a bad fall on Wednesday. The EF Education-EasyPost team confirmed that the 21-year-old rider suffered a fractured jaw and a concussion.

The accident occurred with about 70 kilometers to go in the 190.7 km race. Nerurkar was near the front of the pack, chasing the breakaway with his teammates, when he was involved in the crash.

The team announced that the rider has been discharged from hospital and will travel to Girona in the next few days to undergo surgery .

A promising season interrupted

The young Briton had started 2024 in Australia, competing in the Villawood Men's Classic, the Tour Down Under (where he distinguished himself with a fourth place in the young riders' classification), the Surf Coast Classic and the Cadel Evans Road Race. The Trofeo Laigueglia marked his return to competition after a short break.

A specialist on short, challenging climbs, Nerurkar took his first professional win in 2024 at the Tour de Kyushu Kokura Castle Criterium, followed by a second place overall at the Tour de Kyushu. As an Under-23, he stood out with a stage win at the Giro Next Gen and the Orlen Nations Grand Prix in 2023.

The recovery times have not yet been communicated by the team, but it is certain that the British talent will have to give up the Tirreno-Adriatico, where he was expected to start next Monday. A bad blow for those who had decided to bet on him as a low-cost coup.

Photo: Sprint Cycling Agency