Paul Magnier of Soudal Quick-Step delivered a stunning performance to claim his third stage victory in this year's Giro d'Italia, winning a bunch sprint on stage 18 in the Veneto town of Pieve di Soligo. The 22-year-old Frenchman was expertly guided by his teammate Jasper Stuyven through the final high-speed corners, powering to the line after 171 kilometres of racing to beat two Italian sprinters.
Stage 18 Highlights
Edoardo Zambanini of Bahrain Victorious finished second, with Jonathan Milan of Lidl-Trek taking third place on an undulating stage that began in Fai della Paganella in Trentino. Magnier's victory, following his wins on stages 1 and 3, propels him to the top of the points classification.
Vingegaard Maintains Overall Lead
Overall race leader Jonas Vingegaard of Visma-Lease A Bike launched an attack on the day's short, sharp final climb inside the final 10 kilometres but opted to rejoin the main bunch to preserve his significant advantage. The Dane, aiming to complete a set of Grand Tour triumphs, leads Felix Gall of Decathlon CMA CGM by 4 minutes and 3 seconds with three stages remaining.
The stage came alive after a four-man breakaway consisting of Mattia Bais, Andrea Mifsud (both Polti-VisitMalta), Jonas Geens (Alpecin-Premier Tech), and James Shaw (EF Education-EasyPost) was caught with approximately 25 kilometres to go. The 1.1-kilometre Il Muro di Ca' del Poggio climb, featuring gradients of 19%, provided a sharp challenge, and for a moment, Vingegaard appeared poised to contest the stage win.
Afonso Eulálio of Bahrain Victorious, who recovered from a crash, also sensed an opportunity. However, the day belonged to the sprinters, and Soudal Quick-Step executed a perfect strategy as Stuyven led Magnier into the final tricky corner, setting up his teammate for a decisive burst of acceleration to the line.
"I had a lot of confidence this morning," said Magnier, who also wore the race leader's Maglia Rosa jersey after his earlier stage wins. "My teammates made it into a sprint, and I'm so happy to win. Jasper made an amazing lead-out."
