Giro 2026: Enrico Zanoncello expelled from race for headbutt

A severe punishment for Enrico Zanoncello: the Italian has been disqualified by the Giro d’Italia jury. This is due to a headbutt in the final sprint of the fifteenth stage finish, with the finish in Milan.

In the sprint for fifth place—behind the four breakaway riders who managed to stay out of the peloton's grasp—Zanoncello came into contact with a Groupama-FDJ United rider. The Bardiani CSF 7 Saber rider then hit his head against Robert Donaldson.

Donaldson, riding for Jayco AlUla, could no longer maintain his balance and crashed at high speed. The jury found Zanoncello guilty and was unforgiving towards the 28-year-old Italian.

In the race report, we read that the jury imposed a fine of 500 Swiss francs, a yellow card, and, most importantly, a disqualification on him for ‘deviating from the chosen sprint line, thereby putting another rider in danger.’

Zanoncello was competing in his third Giro d’Italia. The fast man finished ninth in the sprint stage with the finish in Naples during the first week, but failed to distinguish himself in the other flat stages.