It is a stage, the twelfth of the Giro d'Italia 2026, that the Bahrain-Victorious team will hardly forget. At the finish line in Novi Ligure, in fact, the Bahraini outfit achieved its first partial success at the Corsa Rosa with the masterful attacking finish of Alec Segaert, who held the pink jersey (and the white jersey) for the eighth consecutive day with Afonso Eulalio and, as the cherry on top, brought a second rider into the day's top ten thanks to Edoardo Zambanini.

It was precisely to the twenty-five-year-old from Riva del Garda, clearly satisfied with what he and his teammates accomplished today both individually and as a team, that we asked for a comment on the wonderful stage experienced between Liguria and Piedmont.

"Certainly today was a day to frame, because between the stage victory and the pink jersey we couldn't have asked for more" exclaimed the class of 2001 rider.

"Our objective at this Giro was precisely this: to win a stage and then try to do the best possible in the general classification. So far we can say that everything has gone really well with the last few days in particular being truly memorable" continued the standard-bearer of a Bahrain-Victorious whose balance at the 109th Corsa Rosa, with nine stages remaining, is already extremely positive.

"Having the jersey, morale is very, very high and as a team we have extra motivation. We will try, in this part of the Giro that remains for us, to maintain these levels as much as possible because the race isn't over and we still have many stages ahead of us. Objectives? To hunt for new partial successes and hold as much as possible in the general classification" admitted Zambanini, a rider who, from here to Rome, will certainly try to round out the team's haul by also aiming to secure a personal victory.

"I'm feeling better all the time. During the first week, after the crash, my leg gave me some trouble, but day after day the situation improved so I'm confident. There are 3-4 stages left that could reward breakaways or be contested by a select group: in these we'll try to get ourselves another satisfaction" declared decisively the runner-up at the 2025 CRO Race before giving us a quick portrait of today's winner.

"Segaert is a splendid guy because when there's something to help with he doesn't hold back and when he can play his cards he does it at his best. Today that paid him off to the maximum. Off the bike? He's very calm, peaceful, but when there's something to say and put things straight he still makes himself heard" concluded Zambanini with a smile that showed great (and justified) contentment.