Video: Zanoncello expelled from Giro d'Italia after sprint headbutt causes high-speed crash
The competitive tension of the Giro d'Italia boiled over into outright disqualification on stage 15, as Bardiani CSF 7 Saber sprinter Enrico Zanoncello was thrown out of the race following a violent incident in the final kilometers.
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The incident occurred just behind the successful four rider breakaway, as the peloton began to organise itself for the sprint for the minor places. In the fight for position, Zanoncello first made contact with a Groupama-FDJ rider before moving sharply to his right. Moments later, he leaned across and appeared to headbutt Robert Donaldson of Team Jayco AlUla.
The contact immediately knocked Donaldson off balance, sending the Australian crashing heavily onto the tarmac at high speed.
Race commissaires reviewed the overhead footage shortly after the finish and acted quickly. Their decision was unusually severe by modern Grand Tour standards, with Zanoncello given a 1,000 Swiss franc fine, an official yellow card and immediate disqualification from the race.
Zanoncello was riding his third Giro d’Italia. His best result of this year’s race had come in the opening week, when he finished ninth on the sprint stage into Naples.
Later, footage from different angles emerged, offering a different perspective on the incident, which Zanoncello also pointed to in his response.
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