Giro d'Italia 2026 takes first victim: Q36.5's Matteo Moschetti withdraws after concussion suffered in Stage 1 crash
Cycling
The chaotic opening stage of the 2026 Giro d’Italia has already claimed its first casualty after Pinarello Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team confirmed Matteo Moschetti will take no further part in the race following the heavy crash in Burgas.
Moschetti was among the riders caught behind the major incident inside the final kilometre of Stage 1, where a high-speed crash split the peloton and wiped out much of the sprint field during the fight for the first Maglia Rosa of this year’s Giro.
In a medical update released by the team on Saturday morning, Pinarello Q36.5 confirmed the Italian rider had undergone extensive examinations following the stage. “The examinations confirmed a concussion and, in accordance with UCI medical protocols, Matteo will take no further part in the Giro d’Italia,” the team announced.
The statement added that all evaluations had been conducted with the rider’s long-term health as the absolute priority. “The team’s medical staff conducted all necessary evaluations with the utmost care and attention, always prioritising the rider’s health and long-term wellbeing.”
Stage 1 crash immediately reshapes Giro sprint field
Moschetti had started the Giro as one of several outsiders for the sprint stages during the opening week in Bulgaria and Italy, but his race ended less than one stage into the Grand Tour after the chaotic finale in Burgas descended into disorder.
Paul Magnier ultimately emerged from the crash-marred finish to take the stage victory and first Maglia Rosa ahead of Tobias Lund Andresen and Ethan Vernon, while several major sprint names including Kaden Groves and Dylan Groenewegen were also caught behind the incident.
The finale quickly sparked wider debate around rider safety after Dutch analyst Thijs Zonneveld described the barriers near the finish as “criminal”, while former Giro winner Tom Dumoulin instead pointed toward the familiar chaos of Grand Tour opening stages and fresh legs inside the peloton.
Moschetti’s withdrawal now marks the first confirmed abandonment directly linked to the Stage 1 crash.
“Concussion protocols exist for a reason”
Pinarello Q36.5 sports director Gabriele Missaglia admitted the withdrawal was a major disappointment both for the rider and the team given the significance of the Giro d’Italia on home roads.
“This is obviously a very disappointing moment for both Matteo and the Team, especially considering the importance of the Giro d’Italia for him,” Missaglia explained. “However, the priority is and always will be the rider’s health.”
The team also made clear there would be no risks taken around the concussion diagnosis. “Concussion protocols exist for a reason and they must be fully respected,” Missaglia said.
Moschetti will now return home to begin his recovery under the supervision of the team’s medical staff.
Kieran WoodDeputy Editor-in-Chief
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He regularly contributes to DartsNews.com and CyclingUpToDate.com, where he covers professional cycling and darts. In cycling, his work includes liveblogs from major races, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, alongside race reports and analysis. He has also conducted interviews with professional riders.
His reporting spans the full racing calendar, from one-day classics to stage races, with a focus on accurate, real-time coverage and clear contextual analysis. For statistics, results, and historical context, he regularly uses resources such as ProCyclingStats. To support reporting on rider activity and training context where relevant, he also references Strava.
In his work, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles as new, verified information becomes available.
claps 2visitors 2
Just in
Popular news
Latest comments
- How is radio going to help when someone went over a cliff or bridge or off the roadside into a forest unnoticed and is laying there unconscious?Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- Yep, next we’ll be accusing F1 drivers of avoiding Le Mans.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- But on what is that opinion based? Are you holding him to a different standard than others? Are you saying he should do learn to like something he doesn’t Are you saying he hasn’t achieved enough Are you saying he pretends to be better than his results? It’s actually a really strange opinion to oust if you consider it objectively or rationally. Try applying it to others or yourself by asking if not EVERYONE should then be doing more? Nobody in athletics or swimming gets criticism for not expanding their repertoire when a rival or someone else does. In fact, most who move to another event get accused of running from their rival. Opinions are boring, the reasons behind them are what count.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- for a medical chief to throw things like is just bad. There are already radios which were banned for spectacle. allow radios. Gps trackers are not a complete solutionabstractengineer07-11-2026
- Yeah man...PogiSloFans07-11-2026
- any rider less than 25 whether they are really ready for the position of leadership of GT is probably not the case. I think Pogi himself suffered when he was defeated by Jonas in the TDF twice. But that would be the team's job to ensure support so that they can bounce back. It requires a team and time to get back up and win after getting knocked down.abstractengineer07-11-2026
- I'm very glad he got the big late Quickstep Vuelta win and I hope he has a few left for Euskaltel-Euskadi.flyer07-11-2026
- My memories of Ivan Basso aren't good but I liked his sister Elisa ok.flyer07-11-2026
- I'm picking .... .... Never mind 🫥flyer07-11-2026
- If Tiberi has a better and more consistent 2027 I somehow doubt it will be because of this victorious warning. Unless his preparation has been off, cycling isn't football.flyer07-11-2026
Loading
Write a comment