Many injured at the Giro d’Italia
“Disaster”: Pogačar team badly hit after mass fall
May 10, 2026 – 2:26 p.mReading time: 2 minutes
Five UAE riders crash on the second stage of the Giro in Bulgaria – with serious consequences for the entire team.
A mass crash on the second stage of the Giro d’Italia has hit Tadej Pogačar’s UAE team hard. A good 23 kilometers from the finish in Veliko Tarnowo, Marc Soler slipped and triggered a chain reaction – around 35 riders fell to the ground.
Some drivers hit the guardrail. The race was temporarily neutralized and ambulances were deployed. Five of the eight UAE riders were involved in the crash. Soler suffered a broken pelvis and Jay Vine suffered a fractured elbow. Co-favorite Adam Yates still reached the finish – covered in blood and a long way behind. A laceration, abrasions and symptoms of a concussion prevented him from starting the third stage.
Yates said: “What a disaster. I worked so hard to get fit for the Giro.” His twin brother Simon won the Tour of Italy the previous year. Other drivers dropped out. Andrea Vendrame suffered a triple vertebral fracture. Santiago Buitrago, Adne Holter and Matteo Moschetti retired with various injuries.
UAE team boss Mauro Gianetti summarized the situation: “Starting the Giro like this is really discouraging. It’s been a pretty tough year for us, but we’re not going to sit idle and feel sorry for ourselves.” The fall misery lasts throughout the entire season. Vine was hit for the second time. During the Tour Down Under, a kangaroo caused him to fall and he broke his wrist.
Soler and Yates are scheduled to help Pogačar at the Tour de France in eight weeks. Tour champion and world champion Pogačar himself has so far been spared any fall injuries.
