Who has abandoned the Giro d'Italia 2026? Key Jonas Vingegaard lieutenant quits race before stage 4

After a crash-packed Grande Partenza, several significant names have already bid arrivederci to the Giro – here’s the full list of abandonees

The opening stages of the 2026 Giro d’Italia have seen some big high-consequence crashes, with a number of the 184 starters failing to make it beyond Bulgaria.

The latest abandon is Wilco Kelderman of Visma-Lease a Bike, who left the race ahead of stage four, depriving Jonas Vingegaard of a key domestique in his bid to win the maglia rosa.

Visma posted: "Unfortunately, Wilco Kelderman will not start stage 4 of the Giro d’Italia following his crash a couple of days ago, as he is still experiencing lingering effects from the crash."

Other departees include one realistic GC contender, British rider Adam Yates, who might have given overwhelming Corsa Rosa favourite Vingegaard a run for his money.

Matteo Moschetti from Pinarello Q36.5 was the first rider to exit the race, after sustaining a concussion in a big crash in Burgas, on the final kilometre of stage 1 of the Giro. It was a huge pile-up, from which Paul Magnier of Soudal-Quick Step emerged victorious, but much worse was to come the next day.

UAE Emirates-XRG were the team worst hit by the calamitous crash that marred the second stage of the 2026 Giro, ultimately losing three riders as a result of the horrendous pile-up that happened 21km from the finish.

Having bounced back from a broken wrist caused by a collision with a kangaroo during the Tour Down Under in January (a race he still managed to won), Jay Vine suffered a broken elbow and concussion in the crash and the Australian was immediately withdrawn from the race. His teammate, Spanish rider Marc Soler, was also admitted to hospital with fractured pelvis.

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In addition, Uno-X Mobility rider Ådne Holter and Santiago Buitrago from Bahrain Victorious were both forced to withdraw from the race as a result of the same crash, which happened on a slippery stretch of road shortly before the final climb to the Lyaskovets Monastery, and resulted in the race being temporarily neutralised while casualties were treated.

Somewhat controversially, UAE’s British GC hopeful Adam Yates was allowed to continue, despite looking as though he’d collided with a combine harvester, only to be withdrawn from the Giro on Sunday, before the start of stage 3, with what has been described as ‘delayed concussive symptoms’.

Andrea Vendrame, a previous stage winner at the Giro, was also forced to retire from the race after stage two, with X-rays revealing the Jayco AlUla rider had suffed three lower back fractures in the crash.