Date: Wednesday, 21 March 2018
The team’s overall race favourite was involved in a bad crash, as teams battled for position leading up to the sprint, which he was unable to ride away from.
The Eritrean rider was taken to hospital for further medical examination.
“Unfortunately, Mekseb was not able to continue as a result of the crash,” said team doctor Dirk Tenner.
“We can confirm he has sustained no life-threatening injuries, he is conscious and talking, but he needs to undergo further medical examination at the hospital in Kulala Lumpur to reveal the full extent of his injuries.”
The flat stage was won by Astana’s Riccardo Minali, while Bardiani-CSF’s Andrea Gaurdini and Terengganu Cycling’s Hariff Saleh placed second and third respectively.