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Paul Magnier won a wild sprint Thursday to make it a hat-trick for the French fast man in stage 18 at the Giro d’Italia.
Jasper Stuyven gave him a textbook lead-out coming into the final corner and Magnier held off Edoardo Zambanini (Bahrain-Victorious) and Jonathan Milan (Lidl-Trek), who remains winless so far in this Giro.
“I didn’t think my third stage victory would happen today. That’s why it makes it even more beautiful,” Magnier said. “I can thank my team for the confidence they gave me. I got dropped on the first climb but my teammates cheered on me. They set me up for a sprint and it makes me so happy today. Jasper Stuyven gave me a fantastic leadout.”
Lidl-Trek did much of the work to control a four-rider breakaway to try to save its Giro, and Milan survived a challenging closing 10km that included a short but very steep climb.
Soudal Quick-Step won the battle for the final kilometer, and Stuyven rolled out the red carpet for Magnier, who moved back into the points jersey.
Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a Bike) was well-protected by his teammates to carry pink into this weekend’s pair of decisive climbing stages.
How it happened: Lidl-Trek comes up short
The transition stage was bound to be a tug-of-war between a breakaway and the sprinter teams.
After missing out Sunday in Milano, the peloton’s fast men wanted one more chance.
But it wouldn’t come easy. The 171km stage from Fai della Paganella to Pieve di Soligo featured a circuit course up and over the Muro di Ca’ del Poggio (1.1km à 11.3%), a short but steep beast that came for the final time with under 10km to go.
A four-rider break tried early in the stage but was reeled in coming into the final lap. Former Giro leader Eulálio — who crashed earlier in stage — surged clear on the final passage, but Sepp Kuss led Vingegaard to bring it all together over the top.
The peloton split over the top for the fast run into the finish, with Eulálio attacking again to fracture the group even more. Lidl-Trek and Soudal Quick-Step led the chase to set up the reduced bunch sprint.
Eulálio was also issued a yellow card by the race jury for, “using a non-compliant position or point of support on the bicycle that represents a danger to the rider or competitors.”
The chasing surviving sprinters caught them with about 600m to go and Magnier won for the first time of this Giro.
Magnier could match the all-time French record if he wins Sunday in Rome. Bernard Hinault in 1982 and Arnaud Demare in 2020 won four stages apiece.
Two more epic mountain stages
The 2026 Giro will be decided over the next two stages. Vingegaard looks untouchable at the top, but there’s still a wide-open battle for the final podium spots.
“Ca’ del Poggio is a steep climb and there were a lot of spectators so I could feel something special. It was really nice, also with the attack of Afonso Eulálio,” Vingegaard said. “Davide Piganzoli is close to him on GC, it would be great for him to win the maglia bianca. I’d love to see him in that jersey. I also like winning myself, I’ve always liked to compete with other persons and that’s why I’m enjoying this Giro.”
Friday’s 151km 19th stage from Feltre Alleghe (Piani di Pezzè) is an endless march across the heart of the Dolomites with nearly 5000m of climbing. This Giro’s “queen stage” also includes the Cima Coppi at the race’s highest point at Passo Giau.
Saturday’s 200km 20th stage from Gemona del Friuli to Piancavallo ends straight up with the final summit finish of the 2026 Giro to put everything in order.
Sunday’s romp into Rome should deliver one more final sprint.
Giro d’Italia Stage 18 results
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