Paul Magnier claims a hat-trick at the Giro d'Italia 2026. After Burgas and Sofia, the Soudal Quick-Step sprinter celebrates again at the finish of the Fai della Paganella-Pieve di Soligo stage, a race decided by a bunch sprint that saw Edoardo Zambanini (Bahrain-Victorious) cross the line in second place and Jonathan Milan (Lidl-Trek) in third. In control, the pink jersey Jonas Vingegaard (Visma Lease a Bike) managed the situation with the help of his teammates, avoiding unnecessary risks on the eve of the Dolomites' big stage to Alleghe.

THE RACE

The start was nothing short of chaotic and lively with attacks and counterattacks following one another without interruption for all the initial kilometers. Among those trying in this first phase are Johan Jacobs (Groupama FDJ), Filippo Magli (Bardiani CSF 7 Saber), Matyas Kopecky (Unibet Rose Rockets), Gianmarco Garofoli (Soudal Quick-Step), Chris Hamilton (Picnic PostNL), Nelson Oliveira and Juanpe Lopez (Movistar) but none of them manage to gain a consistent advantage due to the continuous attacks at the front of the group that bring the peloton back into contact.

The first noteworthy action is therefore signed by the Polti VisitMalta pair Mattia Bais-Andrea Mifsud who, 134 kilometers from the finish, surprise the group and, not without effort, remain in command without any support until 109 kilometers from the finish when James Shaw (EF Education Easypost) catches up with them. Three kilometers later, while behind the situation normalizes with Lidl-Trek and NSN taking control at a steady pace, it's the turn of Jonas Geens (Alpecin-Premier Tech) to find the wheels of the leaders, thus forming a confident quartet.

At this point, after the first seventy kilometers with a frantic pace, the race proceeds for a long time without surprises and with a gap that settles for quite some time between two minutes and a minute and a half for the breakaway riders, who in addition to competing for the points of the Fastro GPM (first Bais) and the Guia intermediate sprint (first again the Polti VisitMalta rider), manage to show their colors and jerseys until 21 kilometers from the finish. Here the group (shaken only by the crash at 49 kilometers of white jersey Afonso Eulalio), after decisively accelerating in the previous kilometers, closes on Bais, Mifsud and Shaw but not on Geens who insists solo until the first slopes of the Muro di Ca' del Poggio where he is caught by the peloton.

On the slopes of the Treviso climb, the only one to attempt an attack is the battered Eulalio who, however, is controlled at a short distance by Kuss and Vingegaard who catch up with him right at the summit. In the final 9 kilometers, with the peloton split into two sections for a while, Thomas Silva (XDS Astana), Jai Hindley (Red Bull BORA hansgrohe) try in turn and then, much more convincingly, Johannes Kulset (Uno-X) and again a superb Eulalio.

The two, also aided by the return of the sprinters and their teammates to the front of the peloton, remain in command until 1200 meters when Lidl-Trek and Soudal Quick-Step put an end to their ambitions by closing on them to then prepare a sprint that, on wet asphalt, for the third time in this Giro ends up rewarding Paul Magnier again. Behind him, Edoardo Zambanini (clever in stealing the wheel from the Frenchman from Jonathan Milan at the last corner) takes second place ahead of the Friuli rider from Lidl-Trek and Francesco Busatto (Alpecin-Premier Tech) who, like the Bahrain-Victorious rider, thus achieves his best placement so far in the Corsa Rosa.

FINISHING ORDER

1. Paul Magnier (FRA/Soudal-Quick Step) - 3:46:50

2. Edoardo Zambanini (ITA/Bahrain-Victorious) - s.t.

3. Jonathan Milan (ITA/Lidl-Trek) - s.t.

4. Francesco Busatto (ITA/Alpecin-Premier Tech) - s.t.

5. Corbin Strong (NZL/NSN Cycling) - s.t.

6. Thomas Silva (URU/XDS Astana) - s.t.

7. Madis Mihkels (EST/EF Education-EasyPost) - s.t.

8. Filippo Magli (ITA/Bardiani CSF 7Saber) - s.t.

9. Sakarias Koller Loland (NOR/Uno-X Mobility) - s.t.

10. Lukas Kubis (SLO/Unibet Rose Rockets) - s.t.

GENERAL CLASSIFICATION

1. Jonas Vingegaard (DEN/Visma Lease a Bike) - 70:44:04

2. Felix Gall (AUT/Decathlon CMA CGM) at 4:03

3. Thymen Arensman (OLA/Netcompany-Ineos) at 4:27

4. Jai Hindley (AUS/Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe) at 5:00

5. Afonso Eulálio (POR/Bahrain-Victorious) at 5:40

6. Derek Gee-West (CAN/Lidl-Trek) at 7:09

7. Michael Storer (AUS/Tudor Pro Cycling) at 7:14

8. Davide Piganzoli (ITA/Visma Lease a Bike) at 7:57

9. Damiano Caruso (ITA/Bahrain-Victorious) at 8:34

10. Ben O'Connor (AUS/Jayco-AlUla) at 9:20