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Follow us on GoogleStage 1 of the Giro d'Italia should have delivered a spectacular mass sprint — but a huge crash in the final kilometre meant only a handful of riders made it to the front. Paul Magnier won, beating men who were, above all, disappointed and frustrated after a chaotic finale.
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Second on the day was Tobias Lund Andresen, who was just far enough forward for Decathlon CMA CGM to escape the crash. Speaking to Eurosport, the 23-year-old Dane was gutted. "My team did exactly what I wanted, but as expected it was a madhouse."
"I lost the wheel briefly, but we stuck to our plan and I told Tord (teammate Gudmestad — Ed.) that I wanted an early sprint. That was necessary because those other guys are faster. If someone other than Paul had been on my wheel in the end, I would have won."
And there lies the source of the frustration — it was so close, and Decathlon CMA CGM had done everything right. On top of that, Andresen escaped a crash he had sensed coming. "It happened on my right side. As expected, everyone went crazy — there were a lot of elbows flying around."
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Vernon, Milan and Ackermann miss out
The other riders behind Magnier and Andresen were equally gutted. Losing a sprint in a group that small hurts. Ethan Vernon finished third for NSN Cycling Team and said: "You always have a plan, but it was pure chaos — crashes and riders I was losing. It never goes the way you want. We did the best we could."
Jonathan Milan was also left shaking his head. But why? "The feeling was good, but we lost each other. I don't even know how or where — but I found myself a long way back," the Italian told Italian media. "I had to ride back up to the front by myself over one and a half kilometres, and when I got there I latched onto the wheel of someone who wasn't even sprinting. So I was too late."
Pascal Ackermann was also in the mix for Team Jayco AlUla, but came home only seventh. He said: "It was a super-nervous sprint, thankfully I stayed upright. I picked the right moment to come from the front, but by then I already had too much lactate in my legs after choosing the wrong side in the sprint."
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Bram van der PloegEditor-in-chief
Bram van der Ploeg (35) is the proud founder of In de Leiderstrui, IDL Pro Cycling's parent site, launched in 2018. Finally, he could create stories about the sport he had followed since childhood. He is the editor-in-chief on paper, but prefers to be with his recorder next to a rider, a team bus, or in the mud at a cyclocross race. Every year, from February to the end of May, Bram follows the entire Italian cycling season, from the Trofeo Laigueglia to the Giro d'Italia, with the grand finale in October in Lombardy. During that time, he lives in Tuscany, where he has since come to call Italy his 'home'.
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Latest Comments
- Is the Giro the race that happens before the Tour? And does winning the mountains jersey mean Carapaz scored the most points on climbs? Which race was everyone’s favourite?bikebuffj05-11-2026
- How did Mathieu van der Poel miss the list? His classics results surely put him in the conversation.sprocketspiny05-11-2026
- McNulty deserves more credit than his ranking suggests. A world title and all that work as a domestique make for a superb season.tourdeforce905-11-2026
- Seixas winning Lombardia at 20 is astonishing. The “next Pogačar” label feels a bit premature, though—let him build his own story before piling on the comparisons.andrewf05-11-2026
- Pogačar’s palmarès is ridiculous, but Van Aert deserves a special mention for Roubaix. Beating Tadej in the velodrome was one of the moments of the season.cyclechamp4505-11-2026
- I’m still learning the calendar: is cyclocross mainly preparation for the spring classics, or does he race it as a separate goal as well? I’d love to see him back in the mud.jeremya04-11-2026
- The article makes it sound as if Roubaix is the only classic where he has a realistic shot. He’s been close in Flanders too, and one good tactical day can change everything.jennifer1904-11-2026
- Milan-Sanremo and Roubaix is a pretty special pair of Monuments. Any clues yet on which cyclocross races he’ll target?andrewf04-11-2026
- He’s right to be realistic about Flanders with Pogačar and Evenepoel around, but you can’t count Van Aert out on those roads. If he gets the right opportunity, he has the engine and experience to take it.davidm04-11-2026
- That Roubaix win felt like such a release after all the near-misses. Brilliant to hear that joy outweighed relief for Wout.patriciaw04-11-2026
