Mikel Landa has been forced to leave the Giro d’Italia prematurely after crashing in stage 1 of this year’s first Grand Tour.

The Soudal-QuickStep team captain crashed while cornering on a fast descent in the final five kilometers of stage 1, which concluded in Tirana, Albania. Landa smashed into a lamp post and another rider at high velocity. He was then catapulted further and landed on some tiles located on a lower level than the tarmac road. 

35-year-old Landa was transported to a local hospital where he was later diagnosed with a fractured 11th vertebrae following a CT-scan. The fracture is apparently stable, but Landa will be forced to remain in a stable lying position for a period. Landa will undergo further examinations at a later time.

Injury to the 11 th vertebrae causes severe back and leg pain and weakness and numbness is also often felt in the leg and back areas.

The local authorities and race organizer RCS Sport had unfortunately failed to cushion the lamp post and curbstone, despite them being placed in a risky location in the finale of the first stage of a Grand Tour.

Mikel Landa has recently extended his contract with Team Soudal-QuickStep through the 2026 season after delivering promising results this season. Landa finished fourth in this year’s Volta Ciclista a Catalunya and seventh in Tirreno-Adriatico and arrived at this year’s Giro d’Italia in great shape and with grand ambitions for the general classification.

The whole team here at Roadcycling.com is wishing Landa a full and speedy recovery.

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