"I don't understand that decision..." - Geraint Thomas and Luke Rowe attribute UAE's mass crash to poor tyre choice

Stage 2 has so far been the most impactful day of the 2026 Giro d'Italia, much due to a mass crash which saw five riders of UAE Team Emirates - XRG go down. Was it a self-inflicted accident however? Geraint Thomas and Luke Rowe have specifically pointed towards the team's tyre choice as the reason behind the crash.

The fall happened on stage 2, as the rider quickly approached the main climb of the day into Veliko Tarnovo. The high speeds, tension and slippery roads led to there being a high-speed crash in a downhill bend.

Marc Soler was the first rider to go down, taking out several of his UAE teammates; and around two dozen other riders in the process. It was a catastrophic situation for UAE who had their main block go down; and had three of their riders withdraw as a result.

On the Watts Occuring podcast, Netcompany INEOS director of racing and Decathlon CMA CGM Team DS Luke Rowe believe that the crash may have been due to UAE's selection of tyres for the day: the Continental's GP 5000 TT tyres. These are time trial specific tyres, which the team often uses in regular road races. A legal choice, but a risky one for rainy days, as the tyres have less traction.

"UAE were riding TT tyres. We all know they're faster. They are faster. They always use them," Rowe said. "They're the one team who use them under almost any circumstances. But they do have less grip. And the first guy down was a UAE guy. Lost both wheels."

For the duo, the reason behind the crash is as clear as day. Geraint Thomas shares the sentiment that tyres are to blame, and that UAE should not have made the decision to race with them on a day where the forecast was of rain and it was known the roads would be dangerous.

"Was the rain a surprise? Were you on the ground, was it in the forecast?. I don't understand that decision. I really don't. A wet day and TT tyres, that seems like a strange call. And again, this is harsh to say, because half the team ended up on the deck."

A topic that is not often discussed, the tyre selection ultimately impacts races in ways that go under the radar. In this case, from within the peloton there is a debate on when to use those tyres, but a general consensus that rainy days are an exception.

"It's been a bit of a topic in our team. We started using TT tyres, and then you use them more and more, and before you know it, it becomes standard. It's definitely something to consider, especially in Bulgaria, not knowing exactly how the roads are."