Magnier Relegates Milan, Vingegaard Coasts

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 expect this to happen today but my team believed in me,” Magnier said. “There was so much adrenaline, I cannot remember the final 500m. I am very proud and very happy.”

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.

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 with under 10km to go.

A four-rider break tried early in the stage but was reeled in coming into the final past. Former Giro leader Eulálio surged clear, 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.

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.

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