Elia Viviani (Cofidis) was rammed into the back of a motorcycle and knocked to the ground with less than 30km to go on stage 11 of the Giro d'Italia in Rimini.

Overhead video footage showed the moto driver mingling with the peloton at a roundabout, and when Viviani slowed slightly, it appeared that the pilot had crashed into his rear wheel.

The Olympic omnium champion slowed down and then crashed, but eventually got up and got back on his new bike. After this accident, he faced a long chase, relying on most of his Cofidis teammates to take him behind the peloton, which was going full throttle to reel in the day's last breakaway rider, Sander Almy (Lotto-Soudal).

Viviani rejoined with 10km to go and rallied his teammates for a group sprint in Rimini.

Viviani, a five-time Giro stage winner, has been without a win since moving to Cofidis this season and a wrist injury led teammate Simone Conssoni to fourth place behind winner Arnaud Demare (Groupama-FDJ).

The race bike pilot, a member of the Giro d'Italia race staff, was fined CHF 500 and excluded from the rest of the race for "violating the rules and guidelines regarding the movement of vehicles during the race."