Paul Magnier of Soudal Quick-Step claimed victory on stage 18 of the Giro d'Italia, sprinting to the line at Pieve di Soligo to secure his third stage win of this year’s race [1, 2]. The 171 km stage with an undulating profile ended in a bunch sprint after a breakaway of four riders was caught about 25 km from the finish [2].
Magnier’s triumph completed a hat-trick, following wins on stages 1 and 3 in Bulgaria. He credited his teammate Jasper Stuyven for a strong lead-out on the final bend, saying, "Jasper made an amazing lead-out" [1, 2]. Stuyven said of Magnier, "[He] is a wonderful racer. We took the pressure off today, told him to stay focused, that it might be his day" [1].
"I did not think that it would happen today so it makes it even more beautiful," Magnier said. "I was not confident in myself this morning. I even dropped on the first climb and then I tried to focus again. My team-mates were around me on the climb and they made it a sprint. I'm so happy to win today" [1].
The win also allowed Magnier to reclaim the points classification jersey from Ecuador’s Jhonatan Narvaez [1].
Jonas Vingegaard of Team Visma-Lease a Bike maintained his grip on the overall pink leader's jersey after stage 18. Although he attacked on the short final climb, he stayed with the main bunch to preserve his lead. Vingegaard now leads Felix Gall by 4 minutes 3 seconds and Thymen Arensman by 4 minutes 27 seconds, with a total race time of 70 hours 44 minutes 4 seconds [1, 2].
Looking ahead, stage 19 is scheduled for tomorrow and features a demanding 151 km queen stage in the Dolomites. It includes six categorized climbs with a summit finish at Alleghe [1].
