Brown went down along with teammates Amanda Spratt, Georgia Williams and Janneke Ensing as the bunch sprint formed heading into the finale in Mortegliano, with all four riders managing to finish the stage which was won by Lorena Wiebes (Team DSM).
The crash happened as Williams moved the team near the front of the race, looking over her shoulder to check that her teammates were with her. A Liv Racing rider came past on the other then moved across Williams, taking out her front wheel with Williams not able to react in time after facing back straight. Williams feel directly into the path of Brown and the rest of the Team BikeExchange squad, causing a pile-up in the gutter.
Brown suffered multiple wounds and a left shoulder contusion as a result of the crash, withdrawing from the race following an assessment by the team doctor.
Spratt managed to pass the doctor's assessment and will start tomorrow's Stage 9, though she slipped a spot on the general classification to 13th oveall after losing 28 seconds on the stage. Williams suffered bruising and whether she will continue has not been confirmed at this stage.
Brown played down the severity of her injuries as she now turns her focus to recovering in time to represent Australia at the Tokyo Olympics later this month.
“It was quite unfortunate that three of us came down in a crash today and we’re all a bit cut up and bruised," she said after the stage.
"Personally, I’m fine, but I’ve hurt the muscle in my shoulder, and I have some quite deep cuts that need to heal.
"I’m looking to be in good shape for the Tokyo Olympics and that’s my priority now, so I want to rest up so I can be good for that.”
