Latest news with #MikelLanda
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Spanish rider Landa returns home for 'long recovery' after Giro crash
Spanish cyclist Mikel Landa has been transferred home for an expected "long recovery" after fracturing a vertebra in a high speed fall on the opening stage of the Giro d'Italia, his team confirmed on Monday. The 35-year-old Basque climber hit a curb before falling to a pavement a metre below in Tirana last Friday, on the first of three days racing in Albania. Despite the confirmation of a fracture there were no further complications and Landa was able to travel home, his Belgian Soudal Quick Step team said, adding that their rider was "in good spirits and optimistic for the future". Landa himself thanked the spectators who helped him on the roadside, the hospital staff, his team and everyone "who has taken care of me and helped me to return to my home". "It will be a long recovery but the support that has been shown to me will strengthen me on my journey," Landa said in the team statement. Landa had been amongst the favourites for the overall title at the Giro d'Italia after he finished third in two previous editions. After three days in Albania, the Giro will continue across the Adriatic to Italy, with Monday a rest day for the fourth stage a flat run to Lecce in the heel of Italy. jk/dmc/ea
ABC News
10-05-2025
- Sport
- ABC News
Jay Vine caught in Giro d'Italia crash that knocks out contender Mikel Landa on stage one
Former world champion Mads Pedersen has grabbed the first pink jersey in the 108th edition of the Giro d'Italia on a bruising day for the Australian challenge in Albania. Danish star Pedersen outsprinted Belgian stand-out Wout van Aert by half a wheel to grab the honours in the opening stage of the Grande Partenza, a hilly 160km trek from Durres to the capital Tirana as the great race went across the Adriatic to Albania for the first time. But Australian ace Jay Vine, fresh from finishing on the podium at the Tour de Romandie, suffered a crash 5 kilometres from home and ended up finishing almost four minutes adrift. At least UAE Team Emirates rider Vine avoided the fate of the luckless Spaniard Mikel Landa, whose crash just ahead of him had prompted the Australian's own spill as he tried to take evasive action. Landa had to be taken away on a stretcher with his race over after crashing into a kerb and tipping over. It was later reported the 35-year-old four-time Grand-Tour stage winner had suffered a fractured vertebra. Queenslander Kaden Groves, who had hoped to get over the climbs still in touch to challenge for the jersey, found the task too taxing, along with plenty of the other top sprinters, as he ended over another minute-and-a-half behind Vine. But the main Australian hope for overall race victory, Tour of the Alps winner Michael Storer, came home safely among the 36-strong leading bunch along with 2022 winner Jai Hindley, Damien Howson and Chris Harper. Lidl-Trek's Pedersen, the 2019 world champ, celebrated his second Giro stage win, having also won in Naples two years ago, but it's the first time in his distinguished career that he's worn the leader's jersey in a Grand Tour. Venezuela's Orluis Aular crossed third. "To win the stage and go into the pink jersey is absolutely amazing, especially after teamwork like this," Pedersen said after ousting the charging Visma-Lease a Bike luminary van Aert. "You always have to be afraid of Wout, he's a really good bike rider. It's not a given to win when he's in the group, and you have to handle that with respect and a bit of fear as well. But today I had the legs to finish it off for the team." One of the other top contenders Juan Ayuso, for whom Vine will be working in the mountains, also crashed early on a roundabout but was unhurt and finished safely in the pack along with race favourite Primoz Roglic (Red Bull-Bora-hansgrohe). The race remains in Albania for two more days before it returns to Italy, with stage two on Saturday a 13.7km individual time trial in Tirana, where race favourite Primoz Roglic will be expected to shine. AAP
BBC News
09-05-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Pedersen wins Giro opener as Landa injured in crash
Denmark's Mads Pedersen outsprinted Wout van Aert to win the first stage of the Giro d'Italia in Albania. Britain's Tom Pidcock finished fifth for his new Q36.5 team, in a race in which the 25-year-old hopes to contend for the coveted overall pink jersey and also win another contender for pink, Mikel Landa of Spain, crashed violently with about 5km to go, with the Soudal-Quick Step rider appearing to collide with a lamppost on the approach to the centre of Albania's capital city was placed in an ambulance at the scene and has subsequently abandoned the Pedersen will wear pink in Saturday's second-stage time trial after benefiting from the pace set by his team-mates on the front of the peloton over the final Surrel climb, which saw the pure sprinters in the race dropped from the leading bunch."It's absolutely amazing, especially after the team work like this, it's really incredible that the team works that hard and I can pay them back with a win," he is a highly decorated rider, having won the 2019 Road World Championship, one-day classics and now his seventh Grand Tour 29-year-old beat Visma-Lease A Bike's Van Aert to the line by a wheel - the Belgian is expected to be Pedersen's main rival for the ciclamino-coloured points jersey. An exhausted Van Aert said afterwards: "You only get one or two chances to take pink, but on that last climb I struggled to stay in." Drama in the Giro already It was a typically dramatic first stage for the Giro, on unknown roads in Albania, which is hosting the start of a Grand Tour for the first the final two climbs many riders lost touch with the peloton, including sprinters Kaden Groves and Olav Kooij, because the pace was so high, even though the climbs themselves were not considered to be overly the real surprises came in the battle for the general classification. Canada's Derek Gee was dropped from the peloton for Israel-Premier Tech, losing almost a minute, and Ineos Grenadiers' Thymen Arensman lost over a minute and a half. Then, the often luckless Spaniard Landa was left writhing in pain on the pavement, his bike lying at the bottom of a crash saw other riders come to grief as they took evasive action in the ensuing melee, including France's Geoffrey Bouchard of Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale. Saturday's time trial sees riders take a 13.7km test against the clock around the streets of Tirana, with Pedersen expected to relinquish the pink jersey to a specialist in the discipline.
The Guardian
09-05-2025
- Sport
- The Guardian
Giro d'Italia: Pedersen wins but Landa crashes out on opening stage in Tirana
Denmark's former world champion Mads Pedersen edged out Wout van Aert in a bunch sprint to win the opening stage of the Giro d'Italia in Tirana on Friday, but Mikel Landa was forced to abandon the race after a crash five kilometres from the finish. Pedersen (Lidl-Trek) was positioned perfectly by his teammates for the climax in the Albanian capital and held off Belgium's Van Aert to become the first rider this year –and the first Dane ever – to wear the overall leader's pink jersey. Venezuela's Orluis Aular (Movistar) was third across the line. 'To win the stage and go into the pink jersey is absolutely amazing, especially after teamwork like this,' said Pedersen, who won the world road title in England in 2019. 'You always have to be afraid of Wout, he's a really good bike rider. It's not a given to win when he's in the group, and you have to handle that with respect and a bit of fear as well. But today I had the legs to finish it off for the team.' Van Aert was left frustrated that he could not mark his Giro d'Italia debut by winning the first stage. 'There are only a few opportunities to take the pink jersey. So that's why I really wanted to try – on the last climb, I suffered so much to just hang on,' he said. 'So it's a pity to finish second, but it's still better than expected.' Landa, a three-time stage winner in the Giro who came third overall in 2015 and 2022, crashed on the outskirts of Tirana as the peloton wound up the pace towards the finish. The 35-year-old Soudal Quick-Step rider was taken from the course on a stretcher. 'Our rider has been taken to the hospital for investigations after the crash that put an end to his dreams at the Giro,' said his team on X. His crash was among several on the opening day, with Juan Ayuso of UAE Team Emirates, one of the leading contenders for the race, crashing early on at a roundabout. The Spaniard was unhurt and finished safely in the pack alongside race favourite Primoz Roglic. Two other riders expected to challenge for the maglia rosa – Derek Gee (Israel-Premier Tech) and Thymen Arensman (Ineos Grenadiers) – lost time on a punishing day.
New York Times
09-05-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Mads Pedersen wins first stage of Giro d'Italia as Mikel Landa crashes out
Danish rider Mads Pedersen won the first stage of the Giro d'Italia in a sprint finish to take the race's first Maglia Rosa. The former world champion powered through a small group of favourites in Tirana after his Lidl-Trek team rode aggressively to significantly reduce the peloton. This pink jersey is the first time Pedersen has led a Grand Tour. Advertisement However, the general classification (GC) competition was rocked with just over five kilometers to go when podium contender Mikel Landa crashed on a tight left-hander. UAE Team Emirates domestique Jay Vine was also caught up in the collision. Vine recovered to finish the 164km stage but Landa, who was slated to lead Soudal Quick-Step, remained on the ground in agony. He was carried away from the crash site on a stretcher and has officially abandoned the race. Landa only extended his contract with the team until the end of 2026 on Wednesday. #ForzaMikel Our rider has been taken to the hospital for investigations after the crash that put an end to his dreams at the #GirodItalia. — Soudal Quick-Step Pro Cycling Team (@soudalquickstep) May 9, 2025 The first three stages of the Giro are taking place in Albania, with the first stage passing between the country's two largest cities, Durres and Tirana. Its bumpy route and Lidl-Trek's high pace meant Pedersen was the class of a 30-man bunch. The 29-year-old had been a favourite for the stage, having performed well in the Spring Classics, winning Gent–Wevelgem in March. 'It was like you saw on TV,' Pedersen said after Stage One. 'That was exactly the plan. Ride hard and make it a small group.' Visma Lease a Bike's Wout van Aert finished second, despite suffering from illness in the lead-up to the Giro. He could move into the race lead with a strong performance in Saturday's 13.7km time trial in Tirana. GC favourites Primoz Roglic and Juan Ayuso finished safely in the leading group — though Ayuso had a minor fall earlier in the day — but hopefuls Derek Gee and Thymen Arensman lost significant time after surprisingly dropping on the day's final climb. 𝗡𝗢 𝗣𝗨𝗘𝗗𝗘 𝗦𝗘𝗥 😨😨😨 Caída durísima de Mikel Landa cuando tan solo quedaban 5 kilómetros para el final de la etapa Pinta feo, muy feo 🙏#GirodItalia — (@Eurosport_ES) May 9, 2025 (Photo of Mads Pedersen: Luca Bettini/AFP via Getty Images)
