Giro stage 1 crash carnage claims first victim as Moschetti withdraws

Erlend Blikra of Uno-X Mobility was the first rider to hit the deck, after Tord Gudmestad of Decathlon CMA CGM appeared to move off his line to avoid clipping the foot of a roadside barrier. What followed was a brutal chain reaction, with around a dozen riders crashing at high speed.

Medical updates began to emerge after the finish, with several of the riders involved in the crash undergoing checks from their respective teams.

Kaden Groves was among those to come down heavily in the finale. Alpecin-Premier Tech later confirmed that the Australian had suffered abrasions to both shoulders, as well as his calf and elbow. Despite the bruising nature of the crash, Groves is expected to take the start of stage 2 without too many issues.

There was also concern around Dylan Groenewegen, who had arrived at the Giro as the key sprint hope for Unibet Rose Rockets. 

The Dutchman was caught in the pile up and initially appeared to be in discomfort, but his team later confirmed that a first check revealed no urgent issues. A follow up examination at the hotel also brought positive news, with Groenewegen cleared to continue the race.

For Erlend Blikra, the crash brought an abrupt end to what had been a promising sprint build up for Uno-X Mobility. 

The Norwegian had been well positioned in the final kilometre before hitting the ground hard. His team reported that Blikra was battered and bruised, particularly after landing heavily on his back, but added that he appeared to be okay.

The first confirmed withdrawal came on Saturday morning, when Pinarello-Q36.5 announced that Matteo Moschetti would take no further part in the Giro d’Italia. The Italian was caught up in the final kilometre crash and later underwent extensive medical assessments by the team’s medical staff. Those examinations confirmed a concussion and, in line with UCI protocols, Moschetti has been withdrawn from the race.

For most of the riders involved, the overall picture remains one of relief rather than alarm. Despite the number of riders caught up in the crash and the speed at which it unfolded, the majority appear set to continue in the Giro.

Moschetti’s withdrawal, however, underlines that the peloton did not escape unharmed. Several riders will carry the marks of the opening stage into the coming days, and the full extent of the damage will largely have to be pieced together through individual team updates. 

Due to Italian medical privacy legislation, official race communication is limited when it comes to injury details, meaning those team bulletins remain the clearest indication of how much the Giro’s first day has already taken out of its sprint field.