See the gruesome injuries that forced rider Luke Plapp to quit Australia’s top cycling race in a bloody mess after 100kmh fall

Bruised and bloodied reigning Australian road race champion Luke Plapp has been forced to abandon the Tour Down Under due to injuries suffered in a heavy crash on Thursday’s third stage.

Plapp had torn his jersey, covering his exposed back and shoulders with severe road rash and swollen elbows and ankles after falling during a fast descent at the end of the stage.

On Friday morning, after monitoring him overnight, his team Jayco-AlUla announced that he would not start the fourth stage of the race due to “discomfort and persistent pain from a large number of wounds.”

The 23-year-old (pictured right) was one of three riders who landed hard on the road in the crash

The injuries were the result of a serious crash involving several riders approximately 10 km from the finish line.

Plapp, who has won the last three national road titles and was considered by many to be a red-hot contender for the overall winner’s jersey, crashed as the riders reached speeds of almost 60mph on the descent.

He did finish the stage and was not taken to hospital, but was instead treated by his team’s medical staff.

But the result left Plapp more than 10 minutes behind the leader, and his injuries prevented him from continuing the race.

Plapp was more than 10 minutes behind the leader when the crash ended his race

Plapp’s injuries made for a frustrating Tour for Australia’s only WorldTour team without a stage win in the men’s or women’s races in Adelaide.

His teammate Caleb Ewan, who was pipped at the finish of stage three, revealed how she found out about the crash.

“I heard a crash and I heard something (on the radio) about Plappy, so I just assumed he went down,” he said after the finish.

“I’m not sure if he’s right or not.”

UAE Emirates young player Isaac del Toro retains the lead going into the fourth stage.