Mikel Nieve (Caja Rural Seguros RGA) ended the last race of his career in Il Lombardia on Sunday with a disappointing and abrupt finish. The Basque climber was forced to retire with a shoulder injury after crashing on the descent of a climb in the first half of the race.

"The ending everyone wanted on a special day for the Navarreans," his team wrote on social media.

Lorenzo Fortunato (Eolo Cometa) also crashed in the same crash and abandoned the race.

The 38-year-old Nieve is known for his three Giro d'Italia stage wins, most notably his first in 2011, when he held off Alberto Contador's chase on the climb to Gardeccia Val di Fassa in the rain. He also won stages at the Vuelta a España and the Criterium du Dauphiné.

After five seasons with Euskaltel-Euskadi, Nieve moved to Team Sky in 2014, where he won three Tour de France races as Chris Froome's superdomestique. He moved to Mitchelton-Scott in 2018 and stayed there until this season when he joined Caja Rural.

39-year-old Domenico Pozzovivo also had a disappointing race, crashing at a similar point in the race. Pozzovivo underwent tests on his left shoulder, elbow, and ribs.

The withdrawal was a bitter blow for Pozzovivo, who had finished third in last week's Giro delle Miglia.