Mechanical Issue Dashes Ben Turner's Giro d'Italia Hopes on Stage 12

Ben Turner (Netcompany Ineos) experienced another setback at the Giro d'Italia on Thursday, May 21, 2026. After successfully navigating a challenging climb that eliminated many sprinters, he faced a mechanical issue that hindered his chances of competing for stage victory.

During the final Bric Berton climb on stage 12, notable riders such as Jonathan Milan (Lidl-Trek) and Paul Magnier (Soudal-QuickStep) were dropped, while Turner remained in contention, appearing ready to capitalize on the absence of significant competitors. However, with 24 kilometers remaining, Turner suffered a flat back tire and had to signal for a bike change from the team car while the peloton gained speed.

Turner reflected on his ride, stating, "I think I was a bit sin gas as well. On the climbs, on the first one I was good, but on the second one I was really fighting on the last kilometer. But I made it and I was like 'OK, now control yourself and look for the final sprint and it will all be good.' But I came into the valley and had a rear wheel puncture, it was just really bad luck."

Teammate Jack Haig quickly came back to assist Turner in regaining his position in the race, with Embret Svestad-Bårdseng joining the effort shortly thereafter. They managed to close the gap to the front group, but as the race intensified in the final kilometers, Turner struggled to keep pace with the accelerating riders. Ultimately, he was dropped from the main group with just over 4 kilometers to go and finished the stage in 73rd place, over three minutes behind the winner.

Turner stated, "The commissaire was like 'no no, you can't have a car' [to draft back on], so [the gap] was like 25 seconds. So we fought to come back. Jack came to help me, but to be honest I was completely with nothing. I was fighting, fighting, fighting, but to be honest I think it looked quite embarrassing on the bike, I imagine. I thought I'd come back, but in the end, I had nothing, the body just said 'ciao.'"

This was not the first time Turner faced misfortune at the Giro d'Italia; on stage 4, he found himself in a similar position after dropping back to support teammate Egan Bernal. As a past stage winner at the Vuelta a España, Turner is recognized as a strong sprinter and likely considered this stage an opportunity with several top sprinters absent.

Stage 12 ultimately concluded without a sprint finish, as Alec Segaert (Bahrain Victorious) secured victory following a late solo effort. Given that Netcompany Ineos had several riders near the front, there are many questions regarding what Turner could have accomplished had he not faced his setback. Turner remained hopeful about his chances in the upcoming stages, expressing, "You always have to believe until you can't." The team's general classification riders, Thymen Arensman and Egan Bernal, finished safely in the group behind Segaert, maintaining a strong position overall.