Giro d’Italia crash toll rises again as Andrea Vendrame abandons with three lower back fractures
Cycling
The toll from the brutal Stage 2 crash at the 2026 Giro d’Italia has risen again, with Andrea Vendrame forced out of the race after suffering three lower back fractures.
Team Jayco AlUla confirmed after the stage that the Italian will not start Stage 3, adding another name to a growing casualty list from the mass crash on wet roads in Bulgaria. Vendrame went down heavily in the final 30km of the stage to Veliko Tarnovo, where the peloton had already been racing on slippery roads before disaster struck. The team confirmed Vendrame suffered fractures to three transverse processes in his lower back. He will return to Italy for further examinations and to begin his recovery.
Another proven Giro stage hunter forced out
Vendrame’s withdrawal removes one of the race’s proven Giro stage hunters before the race has even reached Italy. The 31-year-old has twice won stages at his home Grand Tour, first in 2021 and again in 2024, when he claimed Stage 19 from the breakaway. He also finished second on a Giro stage in 2019, underlining his long record of targeting opportunities in the Corsa Rosa.
That made his Stage 2 abandon a significant blow for Jayco AlUla. Vendrame was never a general classification threat, but he was one of the team’s most dangerous options for breakaway days, reduced sprints and awkward medium mountain stages across the three weeks. Instead, his Giro has ended before the first rest day.
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Crash fallout continues to grow
Vendrame is the latest rider forced out by the Stage 2 crash, which has already reshaped the opening weekend of the race. The incident came with around 23km remaining, before the final climb to the Lyaskovets Monastery. A large group of riders went down on wet roads, with the race temporarily neutralised while medical vehicles dealt with the fallen riders.
UAE Team Emirates - XRG were hit particularly hard. Jay Vine and Marc Soler were both taken to hospital, while Adam Yates later abandoned after finishing the stage bloodied and more than 12 minutes down. Santiago Buitrago was also forced out and taken to hospital for further examinations.
Guillermo Thomas Silva eventually won the stage and moved into the Maglia Rosa, but the result was only one part of a chaotic day. For Vendrame and Jayco AlUla, Stage 2 became another example of how quickly this Giro has already started taking riders out of contention.
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.
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MarkFour07-11-2026 - This is a really interesting idea, which, if well prepared could even be very successful. Very little money needs to be involved for a first season and any success could lead to rapid interest from sponsors.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- Hmmm, you seem to have a very convenient black and white view of things. Perhaps you haven’t been around much to discover how complex problems can become over time with people who know how to control, manipulate (or worse) others so gradually or subtly that you arrive at an irresolvable situation before you realise. This is how many inconveniences get introduced to the young, naïve, passionate or “desperate”, knowing they are not armed, protected or strong enough to defend themselves once it’s too late. Why do you think omerta culture is so widespread, why do you think so many people continue to go through so many awful things in life that others can’t understand anyone getting into? Life may be far more jolly for you but you would do well to understand (or reflect more on) the real world to refrain from being so quick to criticise those in a hard spot that may have genuine reason for speaking out.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- Seriously do you think when somebody gets into a serious accident, the ambulance is called by the hurt person?🤦 there is always a buddy system in place for a risky job. police , firefighters etc so that if someone gets hurt, the other call that in.abstractengineer07-11-2026
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- So gracious to offer something no-one would be prepared to pay for. The Giro is not the Tour and doesn’t command the same interest or attract the same “elite” (those willing to pay to be a part of something they consider has ego boosting potential). Roadside viewing will always largely remain free for everyone outside circuits. Introduction of a symbolic entrance to mountain climbs is worthy of exploration. Asking 1-2€ isn’t going to repulse real fans (most will spend 50-100€ on their outing that day all things included) but will prevent a portion of the total knobhead thrillseekers who will join in any large gathering as long as it’s free, just because they’re attracted to crowds, without which it it difficult for them to work up their anti-social behaviour.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- 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
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