Matt White says it's one of the worst doses of road rash he's seen in his long professional cycling career.
And the Jayco AlUla team director has forgotten more than most people know about the sport's ups and downs.
So while Luke Plapp wanted to keep racing in the Tour Down Under, it was no surprise that the team announced before Friday's fourth stage that their young Australian star was out of the race.
The in-form rider, who won his third-straight road race title earlier this month at the national championships as well as the time trial, was caught in a high-speed crash near the end of stage three.
Plapp has what cyclists chillingly call "road pizza" from the back of his left shoulder down to the hip.
He was in a small group of riders that crashed and when team staff rushed to them, Plapp was at the bottom of the stack.
"He's in no state to pin on a (race) number - or for the next couple of days, I would think," White said.
"I've seen a few - I've certainly had nothing like that.
"Because there's so much skin off, our physio team hasn't been able to diagnose it 100 per cent."
The good news is Plapp does not have concussion or any broken bones.
Plapp was supposed to race later this month at Cadel's Great Ocean Road Race in Geelong, but that will depend entirely on his recovery.
He has a massive season ahead after joining Jayco AlUla as a star recruit, with the May Giro d'Italia and the Paris Olympics' road time trial as major objectives.
"We certainly won't be rushing him back," White said.
cyc
