Jhonatan Narváez (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) took over the points classification yesterday thanks to him taking maximum points at the intermediate sprint. He leads Paul Magnier (Soudal-QuickStep) by one point heading into today’s sprint stage, so the Frenchman will likely take it back today, but it is all to play for in the final week…

>>>‘I will fight for it’ – Maglia ciclamino competition heats up as Jhonatan Narváez takes on Paul Magnier in a head-to-head battle for points at the Giro d’Italia

Bongiorno and welcome to live updates of the 15th stage at this year’s Giro d’Italia.

Before looking at the final stage of week two, let’s take a look back at what happened yesterday in the first really major mountain test of the race…

>>> Giro d’Italia: Jonas Vingegaard outclimbs rivals to solo to stage 14 victory and seize race lead

Onto today and you couldn’t find a more different stage profile to yesterday’s stage than today’s. It is completely pancake flat with a few laps around the city of Milan after the halfway point.

It is going to be another hot day for the riders with the temperatures set to reach over 30°c. Staying cool will be vital today.

Rider presentation is well underway in Voghera with this man, Dylan Groenewegen (Unibet Rose Rockets) will be desperate to go for the win today, he has already gone so close but only has two real chances left in this race…

>>> “We have two shots left to achieve our Mission Giro’ – Unibet Rose Rockets target Milan and Rome sprints with Dylan Groenewegen

Here is the above view of what the stage looks like today with four laps of the finishing circuit in Milan.

Will today’s finish in Milan be perfect for Jonathan Milan (Lidl-Trek) to take his first win of the race?

>>>‘It’s super important for me and our team’ – Pressure builds on winless Jonathan Milan as sprinters set eyes on next Giro d’Italia sprint in Milan

The riders are due to start the neutralised zone any minute now.

Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a Bike) is fully decked out in pink today for his very first day in the leaders jersey…

The riders have rolled out and are on their way to the race start proper.

The race is actually late starting at the moment. They are 3km away from the flag being waved.

Just 1km of neutral left.

157km to go

Racing begins with attacks coming immediately from Bardiani CSF-7 Sabre, Uno-X Mobility, Alpecin-Premier Tech and Polti-Visit Malta.

Soudal-Quickstep, Lidl-Trek and NSN immediately go to work to bring that back. Too many riders in that one.

The same teams try to make another break but nothing is doing. The sprinters teams don’t want more than four riders who now get away.

Martin Marcellusi (Bardiani CSF-7 Sabre), Mattia Bais (Polti-Visit Malta), Alessandro Tonelli (Polti-Visit Malta) and Fredrik Dversnes (Uno-X Mobility) are clear with 18″ on the peloton.

Bardiani CSF-7 Sabre and Alpecin-Premier Tech tried to counter in the peloton but they had the door firmly shut in front of them to stop them moving.

More attacks in the peloton with Alpecin-Premier Tech trying. However, he has three Soudal-Quickstep riders and an NSN rider on his wheel as Enric Mas (Movistar) closes it down.

Alpecin-Premier Tech are being blocked in by the sprinters teams. They really want to get into the breakaway with Danish time trialist Johan Price-Pejtersen to make this breakaway have some slim chance, but they can’t get close to going on the attack.

Alpecin-Premier Tech no longer have their big name sprinter in Kaden Groves after he abandoned suffering from his injuries from the crash on stage 2. However, they do have a sprinter, Jenson Plowright. The Australian criterium champion will be very familiar with the style of racing at the finish in Milan today.

140km

The sprinters teams start to work with Soudal-Quickstep, Lidl-Trek and Unibet Rose Rockets all coming to the front after 20 minutes of racing to start setting the pace for their main men with 2’04” up to the four rider break.

Jerseys:

Pink – Vingegaard (TVL)
Purple – Narváez (UAD)
Blue – Vingegaard (TVL)*
White – Eulálio (TBV)

*Worn by – Van der Lee (EFE)

130km to go

It is a very steady pace in the peloton now as the four riders out front look to increase the gap.

Vingegaard may be out of reach, but the Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe duo of Hindley and Pellizzari are fighting to challenge for the poiums…

>>> ‘The Giro is not over’ – Jai Hindley and Giulio Pellizzari combine to fight back in Giro d’Italia GC podium battle

Movistar boss, Eusebio Unzué, is not best pleased with the form of Enric Mas at this race…

>>> ‘Far off the level we hoped for’ – Movistar boss Eusebio Unzué pulls no punches over Enric Mas’ Giro d’Italia team leader struggles but hopeful for final week breaks

Amanuel Ghebreigzabhier (Lidl-Trek) is the man leading the way in the peloton.

Ghebreigzabhier isn’t riding on the front all alone, though. Unibet Rose Rockets and Soudal-Quickstep also joining in the chase.

The average speed is over 50kph so far. They are riding along at a very good pace.

The break of Dversnes, Maestri, Bais and Marcellusi have 3km to go until the intermediate sprint in Pavia. You may recognise the name Pavia as it has been hosting the start of Milan-San Remo for the last few years.

Marcellusi takes the intermediate sprint in Pavia.

UAE Team Emirates-XRG are going for the one remaining point for Narváez but Magnier is on his wheel.

Magnier takes that one point and levels up the scores in the points classification.

Intermediate sprint (Pavia)

1. Marcellusi (BCF) 12pts
2. M. Bais (PTM) 8pts
3. Dversnes (UXM) 5pts
4. Maestri (PTM) 3pts
5. Magnier (SOQ) 1pt

Points classification after intermediate sprint

1. Narváez (UAD) 131pts
2. Magnier (SOQ) 131pts
3. Milan (LTK) 76pts
4. Stuyven (SOQ) 71pts
5. Silva (XAT) 70pts

Bike change

Josh Kench (Groupama-FDJ United)

100km to go

Just over an hour down, average speed at just over 49kph and the breakaway holding 2’30” on the peloton.

It is a very special moment for Vingegaard to wear pink. He is very likely to now wear it all the way to Rome from now…

>>>‘It would be a dream for me to take this jersey into Rome’ – Jonas Vingegaard lays claim to Giro d’Italia’s maglia rosa on punishing slopes of Pila

Roughly about two hours of racing left of racing today considering the pace they’re going at.

The riders are close to crossing the halfway point on the stage.

The gap to the break has dropped to 2’00” as the riders enter the circuit in Milan with huge crowds.

First passage of the finish line. Huge crowds out in Milan.

These laps give all the sprinters and their leadout men a chance to have a good look at the finale before the finish.

60km to go

The break still hold a gap of 2’00” on the peloton.

Multiple GC teams are now starting to move up a bit more now we are on the circuit, but it looks pretty straightforward on relatively wide roads.

Mechanical for Enric Mas (Movistar).

Victor Campenaerts (Visma-Lease a Bike) back at the head commissaire car seemingly discussing how safe the circuit is. He doesn’t seem to be very happy with the safety on the circuit in Milan.

Second time across the finish line with three laps to go in Milan.

50km to go

EF Education-EasyPost join in at the front of the peloton for Estonian national champion Madis Mihkels as the time gap has grown to 2’34”.

The gap has corrected to 2’14” now with the break just 5km to go until the Red Bull sprint.

It wasn’t a good day for Ben O’Connor (Jayco-AlUla) yesterday after the rider from Perth was looking to kick on from his superb time trial…

>>> Ben O’Connor limits losses in fight for top spot in Giro d’Italia after struggling on summit finish of Pila

Some splits appearing in the peloton with the pace rocketing now.

Vingegaard is right at the back in pink. He is with Campenaerts and looks like he may have an issue.

Dversnes wins the Red Bull sprint.

Vingegaard is going back to the head commissaire care complaining about the barriers at the finish. They do appear to be kicking out on the finishing straight. He is talking about the potholes as well saying he almost crashed multiple time.

Puncture

Madis Mihkels (EF Education-EasyPost)

They’ve gone for a back wheel change and not a bike change. Odd choice as he’ll have to work harder to get back in.

Reports say that Ben O’Connor has also been to the head car as well.

Final 5km neutralised

The race jury have decided to allow for the final 5km to be neutralised with all GC times kept unchanged. Giulio Ciccone (Lidl-Trek) now at the car as well.

Two laps to go and the breakaway is still holding 1’40” on the peloton. They are riding superbly well out front.

30km to go

It looks like there may be a further neutralisation with the final lap being set up for the stage win and points only.

Final lap neutralised

The race confirm that the GC times will be taken the next time the riders cross the finish line with one lap to go.

Two and a half hours races with the average speed at 51kph! It has been absolutely rapid today.

Multiple riders swinging off with the break still having 1’28” with 25km to go. Some riders are having to use their leadout men early.

Mechanical

Filippo Ganna (Netcompany-Ineos)

A rider who may have wanted to take a flyer today will have to work a bit harder now. He has won the last two times in Milan.

20km to go

Marcellusi could win for Bardiani CSF-7 Sabre for the first time in a decade with their last winner being a certain Ciccone on his Giro debut. Maestri, M. Bais and Dversnes are superb breakaway riders as well, though.

The gap drops to 1’06” with a big chunk getting taken off their time.

Unibet Rose Rockets having to use Slovakian champion Lukáš Kubiš as well as Lidl-Trek having to use Max Walscheid. Gap now at 1’02”.

One lap to go

The gap ticks under a minute for the breakaway with 16km of racing remaining. The GC times will be taken here so no changes in GC today.

This stage is on course to be the second fastest Giro d’Italia stage in history with the average speed above 51kph.

As the peloton power across the finish line and take the bell the gap says 38″ for the four riders out front. This is going to be touch and go for the sprinters who are losing their teammates all the time.

The gap adjusts! It is now 54″ for the breakaway. With Kubiš still leading the way with Walscheid.

Fabio van den Bossche (Soudal-Quickstep) joins Kubiš and Walscheid on the front of the peloton but that time gap is not budging with 13km to go.

10km to go

Bais is working very hard for Maestri who is probably the fastest of the two. Bais saw his brother take a Giro win a few years ago, will it be his day today?

Lidl-Trek having to use their GC man Derek Gee-West on the front of the peloton to chase the break who are 40″ clear with 9km to go.

Decathlon-CMA CGM and Picnic-PostNL now coming up en masse, but it it too little too late? The big sprinters teams have hardly anyone left.

7km to go for the break and they have 41! on the peloton.

Picnic-PostNL and Decathlon-CMA CGM are not coming up with their trains, likewise Tudor. They’re gambling it all with 6km to go and 32″ gap!

5km to go

Unibet Rose Rockets are giving everything for Groenewegen but the four leaders still have 26 seconds. It is starting to come down much faster now.

Tudor and Decathlon-CMA CGM finally come to the front along with Movistar, Groupama-FDJ United and Picnic-PostNL but there is a lot of looking around and are losing time again.

4km to go and the gap is 25″ as the peloton stall in the chase for now.

Movistar and Picnic-PostNL finally start pushing hard with 3km to go. 24″ gap. Unibet Rose Rockets get their final leadout men to the front now with Groenewegen in third wheel followed by Pascal Ackermann (Jayco-AlUla).

Milan’s last man, Consonni, comes to the front!

Narváez moving up in the points jersey as Stuyven is the only man left for Magnier with 2km to go. 26″ gap as the break have their first look at each other!

Flamme Rouge

21″ gap and they stall in the break! Bais comes to the front for Maestri.

The peloton coming back extremely fast with 500 metres to go.

Crash in the peloton!

250 metres to go!

Fredrik Dversnes of Uno-X Mobility wins stage 15 of the Giro d’Italia 2026 in the second fastest Giro stage of all time!

Heartbreak for Maestri and Marcellusi who gave their all, but the former Norwegian national champion takes a Grand Tour stage win on his debut.

Magnier was the man to lead in the peloton behind as he retakes the lead in the points classification.

After today, Magnier leads Narváez by just 14 points. Potentially huge for the points classification battle with some very hard days still to come and a 50 point day on a stage that suits riders like Narváez far more than the pure sprinters.

What a moment for Dversnes and Uno-X Mobility. His seventh career win and his biggest by far. His previous biggest win was a stage at last year’s Tirreno-Adriatico.

It wasn’t the super easy day Vingegaard probably was expecting today with the stress of the final circuit in Milan, but he makes it through the first day in pink with the rest day tomorrow and then a return to the mountains on Tuesday.

Magnier goes back into the purple jersey for the start of the third week but not with the 50 point buffer he was hoping for. He has just 14 points on Narváez with stages suiting the Ecuadorian champion far more than the young Frenchman, aside from the finale in Rome.

Vingegaard also continues as leader in the mountain classification with Jardi van der Lee (EF Education-EasyPost) wearing it on his behalf.

Eulálio remains solidly in the white jersey at the end of week two which sees him lose pink but still sitting in a very good GC spot with second.

Dversnes said: “Super-good help from the other guys in the breakaway, the Italian from Bardiani and Polti guys, they were really strong today. I knew I had good opportunities because I’m pretty good at going in breaks, so this was my big shot.

“With five Ks to go, of course you start believing [you can get there] but you have to think about what to do and what’s important and not about what happens.”

Read more in our post race report.

That brings week two of the Giro d’Italia and our live report of stage 15 to a close. Enjoy the rest of your day. Ciao!