Moment two men 'try to push cyclists and cause a crash during Giro d'Italia for social media challenge'

By ELIANA SILVER, SENIOR FOREIGN NEWS REPORTER Published: 15:55, 15 May 2026 | Updated: 15:56, 15 May 2026 This is the moment two men trying to go viral for a social media challenge attempted to push cyclists during the Giro d'Italia. The men, aged 20 and 21, were spotted in a live TV broadcast lunging towards and attempting to trip cyclists passing through the municipality of San Vitaliano. While a friend films the brazen, disrespectful act, the men laugh, and one cyclist tries to swat the man away with his hand. In an incident that risked a crash, one of the men was seen pushing a cyclist.  Although the rider was uninjured, he was visibly irritated, turning around to make an angry hand gesture at the culprits.  The incident occurred on stage 6 of the race, a 141km stage from Paestum to Naples.  Local media reported on Friday that the two men were quickly identified and have now been charged with causing a public hazard during the sporting event.  They reportedly told police they were trying to 'pull a prank.'  Respect the riders. Respect the race. Respect the #GirodItalia🫶 Fans, Tifosi. We love you on the roadside. We love your enthusiasm, we love that you cheer on the riders, we love that you dress like flamingos.❌ But there's a line not to cross. Don't be like this guy. pic.twitter.com/iO7wJNkUOa In an incident that risked a crash, one of the men was seen pushing a cyclist The men, aged 20 and 21, were spotted in a live TV broadcast lunging towards and attempting to trip cyclists Authorities are expected to seek a DASPO -an Italian administrative measure used to ban individuals- for the men. This would see them banned from attending sporting events while also leaving them subject to a fine. One of the two men has a previous criminal record for robbery, Italian outlet RAI reported.  Giro d'Italia organisers also told local media that the CPA riders’ union are expected to file a formal complaint against the two pranksters. Alongside a video of the incident, Giro d'Italia took to X to write: 'Respect the riders. Respect the race. Respect the #GirodItalia. 'Fans, Tifosi. We love you on the roadside. We love your enthusiasm, we love that you cheer on the riders, we love that you dress like flamingos. 'But there's a line not to cross. Don't be like this guy.'  British sports commentator Rob Hatch who was covering the event also expressed his anger, saying: 'There's a lack of brain cells there. Have you nothing better to do? What are you playing at?'  Co-commentator Dani Rowe added: 'As if this sport wasn't dangerous enough. Obviously not a fan of the sport, is it?'  Fans took to social media in frustration, with one person writing on X: 'Only to get some content for their [social media]. Losers. This is the world today, braindead people trying to create empty content on other peoples hard work' Another added: 'This idiot should have been arrested. This is not a true fan of cycling but a local yob out to cause trouble!' A third said: 'We are tired of stupid spectators putting professional cyclists in danger.'  The Giro d'Italia is a prestigious, annual three-week road cycling race staged mainly across Italy, often referred to as the 'Giro' or 'Tour of Italy'. Chaos erupted during Thursday's sixth stage when a crash on a cobbled corner caused a domino effect, taking down several race favorites.  No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.