UAE Team Emirates star Juan Ayuso stung in eye by bee, forcing him to quit Giro d'Italia

Rider retires on Stage 18 after freak injury impairs his vision

UAE Team Emirates rider Juan Ayuso with his swollen eye after being stung by a bee. Photo: @Pelamity / X

UAE Team Emirates star Juan Ayuso has been forced to quit the Giro d'Italia after being stung in the eye by a bee.

Ayuso, who saw his bid for overall glory fall away in recent days, endured more rotten luck on Thursday when the bee crawled inside his glasses and stung him in the eye.

Ayuso's face quickly swelled up leaving him unable to see out of his right eye.

“Obviously this is not how I wanted my Giro to end but some things are out of my control,” said Ayuso.

“I wish the guys all the best and hope [teammate] Isaac [Del Toro] can keep pink all the way to Rome.”

Despite advice from the UAE Team Emirates doctors to sit out Thursday's Stage 18, he attempted to ride before being forced to retire on the side of the road.

“It's going to go viral but a bee went inside my helmet and I can't see in my right eye,” said Ayuso ahead of his aborted attempt to tackle the 144km route from Morbegno to Cesano Maderno.

“I don't want people to make captions of it, because I know it is going to go viral, but it is what it is.

“And I will try to, you know … the team doctor said it's best for me not to start, but I really want to try and give my best to be here for the team.

“Yesterday, I was not useful at all because I am feeling really bad. But you know, I hope I can recover for the next days. I am going to try and get past today.”

Ayuso had started the Giro with high hopes of overall victory in General Classification as he led the UAE Team Emirates challenge in the absence of star rider Tadej Pogacar.

The Spaniard, 22, was widely regarded as one of the leading contenders in what was his debut in the three-week Grand Tour race which finishes in Rome on Sunday.

That challenge has failed to materialise, however, with him suffering on the Giro's punishing climbs. He enjoyed victory on Stage 7 but suffered a knee injury two days later and has struggled ever since.

On Wednesday's Stage 17, he limped across the line in 141st place, more than 30 minutes behind, as teammate Isaac Del Toro soared to stage victory and solidified his grip on the maglia rosa.

Nico Denz then claimed an impressive victory on Thursday but Del Toro retained the pink jersey.

Denz, of Red Bull–Bora–Hansgrohe, was part of an 11-rider breakaway before seizing control with 11km remaining.

With just three stages to go Del Toro has a 41-second lead over Richard Carapaz of EF Education-EasyPost.