The sight of four-times Liege-Bastogne-Liege winner Alejandro Valverde (Movistar) may be forced to abandon his Grand Tour plans due to injuries.

Valverde suffered nasty injuries in a training crash on his birthday.

Movistar driver quit the Liege-Bastogne-Liege race with around 100 kilometres to go and his team said that he had pulled out due to “various physical problems”.

Hospital scans carried out on April 29 revealed that the Spanish was suffering from a buildup of fluid in his lower back after the fall.

A statement from Movistar, released on Tuesday said: “Alejandro Valverde underwent scans in Murcia on Monday to examine the area damaged by his crash during a training ride last Thursday, prior to Liège-Bastogne-Liège. The checkups confirmed bone edema in his sacrum. [His] Giro appearance depends on his recovery.”

El Bala, 39, was due to ride only his second Giro d’Italia, alongside fellow Spaniard Mikel Landa.