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Follow us on GoogleSeveral riders have spoken out critically after stage 2 of the Giro d'Italia, with the race organisation coming under fire for the way it handled the restart following a devastating crash in the peloton. The stage was eventually resumed just before the bonus sprint — but how that decision was communicated was far from clear to everyone involved.
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The crash occurred in the finale, on a wet right-hand bend. UAE Team Emirates-XRG were particularly badly hit, with Jay Vine and Marc Soler both abandoning and a heavily battered Adam Yates managing to continue. Santiago Buitrago (Bahrain Victorious), Aleksandr Vlasov (Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe) and Ådne Holter (Uno-X Mobility) also abandoned.
The rest of the peloton was able to continue — but not before the chaos had settled. Eventually the race director gave the green light, just a few kilometres before the intermediate bonus sprint. Egan Bernal and Thymen Arensman snapped up a handful of seconds there, catching other riders off guard with the sudden, unexpected restart signal.
Continue reading below the video
Jasper Stuyven tears into the Giro organisation
Giulio Ciccone spoke for Lidl-Trek, calling it "a strange finale — first we stopped, then it wasn't clear whether we were racing again. And then suddenly there was that incredibly explosive climb." He added critically: "The roads were filthy — there was mud everywhere."
Jasper Stuyven was equally unhappy about how stage 2 unfolded. The Soudal Quick-Step Belgian let rip at the race director in an interview with Belgian outlet HLN. "There were no ambulances left on course, but there was still a descent ahead that could have been dangerous. After a crash like that, we wanted a neutralisation of the GC times."
The Giro refused that request. "The brave ones could still race for the stage win — but on that next descent, there was no need for anyone to take unnecessary risks. The race director said they were looking at it. Then, like a scared dog, he stuck his head out of the car, started waving his flag and shouted 'race' — before quickly pulling his head back inside."
The Giro organisation responds to Stuyven
In Saturday evening's daily jury report, the Giro organisation issued a response to the controversy surrounding the neutralisation and, in particular, the restart. "The race was neutralised for 4 kilometres after around 30 riders had crashed, in order to allow the doctors and ambulances to reach the fallen riders."
The key detail follows: "The stage was restarted once the medical service confirmed that two doctor's cars and two ambulances had returned to the race."
Bram van der PloegEditor-in-chief
Bram van der Ploeg (35) is the proud founder of In de Leiderstrui, IDL Pro Cycling's parent site, launched in 2018. Finally, he could create stories about the sport he had followed since childhood. He is the editor-in-chief on paper, but prefers to be with his recorder next to a rider, a team bus, or in the mud at a cyclocross race. Every year, from February to the end of May, Bram follows the entire Italian cycling season, from the Trofeo Laigueglia to the Giro d'Italia, with the grand finale in October in Lombardy. During that time, he lives in Tuscany, where he has since come to call Italy his 'home'.
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Latest Comments
- Eight riders told to go for stages, and nobody gets one—hard to know what the plan was there. It’ll be interesting to see whether they pick a clear leader next time.bikebuffj10-11-2026
- Was Bernal’s 20th place really their best GC result? I thought he might have finished higher. Either way, it sounds like a rough Tour for the whole team.gearguru3310-11-2026
- Five days in breaks with no stage win is a painful stat. The team had chances, but they need to turn those opportunities into results.julien10-11-2026
- The Onley Vuelta example makes sense: a team with someone to rally around often looks much more cohesive. Hopefully INEOS can build on that rather than expecting a quick return to the Sky years.cadencekingm10-11-2026
- Thomas is right about the ambiguity. Eight riders all chasing stages can end up pulling in different directions, even if nobody’s deliberately working against anyone. They need a clearer plan once the GC leaders are out.robert6510-11-2026
- What a mess. The report makes it sound as though nobody properly explained the decision, and that’s hard to defend.jennifer1910-11-2026
- I’m still learning the rules: does moving left in a sprint automatically bring a penalty, or does it depend on whether the other rider is blocked? It sounds like Brand wasn’t impeded here.patriciaw10-11-2026
- A final decision still needs a proper explanation. If the federation’s complaint goes nowhere, I hope the officials at least review how they handled the riders afterwards.michael5410-11-2026
- Fair play to Lucinda for saying Marie had won fair and square. That kind of sportsmanship matters, especially after such a controversial decision.raceready710-11-2026
- Schreiber beat Brand on the road, so the jury needed to explain clearly why that slight deviation warranted relegation. Being cut off before she could give her account sounds appalling.lindae10-11-2026
