Expelled from the Giro and fined after a headbutt in the final sprint of Milan

The end of stage 15 of the 2026 Giro d'Italia ended in controversy. Italian Enrico Zanoncello has been expelled from the race after a violent incident with British rider Bob Donaldson during the final sprint in Milan.

Expelled from the Giro after headbutting during the sprint: Enrico Zanoncello out of the race in Milan

Both sprinters were fighting for position in the final meters while the group tried to neutralize the day's final breakaway, formed by four riders and culminating in the surprising victory of Frederik Dversnes. It was then that the cameras captured Zanoncello headbutting Donaldson in the final straight. The Brit lost control and ended up on the ground.

After reviewing the footage, the Giro jury decided to immediately disqualify the Bardiani-CSF-7 Saber rider. The official statement specified that the sanction corresponded to a "deviation from the chosen line that endangers another rider." In addition to the expulsion, Zanoncello received a fine of 500 Swiss francs, a yellow card, and the withdrawal of 13 points in the points classification, practically all he had accumulated.

The decision is particularly strong because since 2025 the UCI has applied the yellow card system on the road, and normally a rider is expelled after accumulating two in the same event. However, the officials considered that the Italian's action was serious enough to expel him immediately without waiting for a second infraction.

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Donaldson, for his part, finished the day with abrasions and his jersey completely torn on the left side. Even so, the Jayco-AlUla team confirmed hours later that the injuries were minor. The rider himself posted a reassuring message on social media stating that he was "fine, more or less," while the team explained that he only suffered superficial wounds.

Enrico Zanoncello's outburst: He headbutts another rider, causes a crash, and ends up disqualified #GirodItalia pic.twitter.com/oP0d5mkfnC

— Eurosport.es (@Eurosport_ES) May 24, 2026

The incident came in a stage also marked by doubts about the safety of the finish in Milan. Several riders, including leader Jonas Vingegaard, had requested to neutralize the final part of the day due to the stress and danger of the urban route. Ultimately, the organization decided that the last five kilometers would not count for the general classification, although the stage victory dispute was maintained.