Mikel Landa ruled out of the 2026 Giro d'Italia with fractured pelvis

The Giro d'Italia has taken another major hit. Just hours after João Almeida's withdrawal was confirmed, Soudal Quick-Step announced on Monday that Mikel Landa will also miss the race. And a question mark hangs over the name of last year's third-placed finisher, too.

The day had already started badly. UAE Emirates-XRG confirmed in the morning that Almeida would not be available in May. The Portuguese rider fell ill in the lead-up to Paris-Nice and his recovery from the virus has taken far longer than expected, leaving him unable to prepare adequately for the Giro.

At Soudal Quick-Step, the team's intended GC leader is also out. The 36-year-old Spaniard had made the Giro a major target — the race he was forced to abandon on the very first day last year with broken vertebrae.

Landa worked hard to make the start of the Vuelta a España and rode the entire race. That was an important step heading into 2026, a season in which he had quickly set his sights on the Giro, to be followed in summer by the Tour de France. The first goal is now off the table.

After missing the start of the season through illness, Landa had returned to racing at the Volta a Catalunya in March. He then crashed on the second stage of the Tour of the Basque Country, after being hit by a team car.

"On medical advice, Mikel will now enter a period of rest and recovery, which means he will not participate in the Giro," the team confirmed.

"Since his crash in the Basque Country, Mikel has been under the supervision of the medical staff, with further tests revealing a small fracture in the pelvis. The injury was not easy to identify, but the diagnosis is now clear. The fracture is already healing, but needs more time."

"I'm obviously disappointed, because I worked hard to come back after a difficult winter," Landa said in a team press release. "I was starting to feel good again in the Basque Country. I had some discomfort after the crash, but the fracture was hard to detect. Now I can focus fully on my recovery."

"It's a shame to miss the Giro, because I was motivated to return after last year," the veteran continued. "The priority now is to get back to full health and rebuild my condition. After that, we'll look at the goals for later in the season."