“Jay Vine and Marc Soler are on the way to hospital” - Mauro Gianetti confirms fears as UAE’s Giro d’Italia ambitions are dashed in horror crash

UAE Team Emirates - XRG’s Giro d’Italia ambitions were left in ruins on Stage 2 after a horror crash on wet roads sent Jay Vine and Marc Soler to hospital and left Adam Yates finishing more than 12 minutes down in Veliko Tarnovo.

What had started as a dangerous but manageable day in Bulgaria became a nightmare for one of the race’s strongest teams. The crash came before the final climb to the Lyaskovets Monastery, on rain soaked roads that had already made positioning and bike handling increasingly difficult.

Several UAE riders were caught in the fall, with Yates seen covered in mud and blood after hitting the ground. Antonio Morgado, who had started the day in the white jersey, was also involved and needed a bike change, while Vine was taken away from the race on a stretcher and loaded into the back of an ambulance.

Speaking to TNT Sports after the stage, UAE boss Mauro Gianetti admitted the team had feared exactly this scenario once the rain arrived. “We were scared because we knew that the weather and the rain would make the roads very dangerous,” he said. “And this happened.”

The most worrying immediate concern for UAE was the condition of Vine and Soler, both of whom were sent for medical checks after the crash. “We have two riders, Jay Vine and Marc Soler, on the way to hospital,” Gianetti confirmed. “We just hope it’s nothing too bad. Nothing is clear about their conditions for the moment. We’re just waiting for information from the doctors.”

That uncertainty added a serious medical dimension to a stage that had already become hugely damaging in sporting terms. Vine was one of UAE’s key mountain options for the Giro, while Soler’s strength and experience made him another important figure in the team’s support structure.

The crash was severe enough for the race to be temporarily neutralised while medical vehicles dealt with the number of fallen riders. When racing resumed, several riders were still chasing back or dealing with the aftermath.

Yates was able to continue, but the damage to his general classification hopes was immediate and severe. “We don’t know about Adam but it was impossible for him to be in the first group,” Gianetti said. “It’s very sad. We wish everyone from the other teams a speedy recovery.”

Yates eventually rolled across the line more than 12 minutes behind stage winner Guillermo Thomas Silva, effectively ending his hopes of fighting for overall victory unless the race later takes another dramatic turn.

For UAE, the scale of the blow was clear. Vine and Soler were taken to hospital, Yates lost major time, Morgado was distanced after his own crash, and Jan Christen was left as the team’s brightest result on the day after finishing inside the front group.

Stage 2 had looked like an early chance for UAE to stay alert and perhaps use their depth in a punchy finale. Instead, it became one of the most damaging days of their Giro before the race had even left Bulgaria.