Paul Magnier won stage 18 of the Giro d’Italia to reclaim the points leader’s ciclamino jersey as Jonas Vingegaard remained in pink.
Magnier got the ideal leadout from his Soudal-QuickStep team-mate Jasper Stuyven before holding off Edoardo Zambanini and Jonathan Milan as the 22-year-old won his third stage of only his second Grand Tour.
This rolling 171km stage from Fai della Paganella to Pieve di Solgo looked to favour a breakaway, but a group of four escapees including Britain’s James Shaw was caught on the approach to the short, sharp climb of the Muro di Ca’ del Poggio which came around 10km from the finish.
Magnier’s Soudal-QuickStep team-mates reeled in an attack from Johannes Kulset and Afonso Eulalio to set up a sprint in which Magnier launched first and always looked in charge.
“I did not expect it to happen today which makes it even more beautiful,” Magnier said. “I really thank the team for their confidence in me, I was not confident myself but they made it a sprint and I’m so happy to win here today.”
The main favourites crossed in the bunch to mean there was no change at the top of the general classification, where Vingegaard leads by four minutes and three seconds from Felix Gall going into a big mountain stage on Friday.
Stage 19 is likely to prove pivotal in the chase for general classification places with the peloton taking on six categorised climbs and 5,000m of vertical ascent in the Dolomites.
PA
