After Roglic's withdrawal, Denz immediately made his move: "There was only one stage that gave me a chance"
Cycling
Follow IDL Pro Cycling on Google
Stay up to date with the best cycling news by making us a preferred source on Google.
Follow us on GoogleNico Denz won a Giro d’Italia stage for the third time in his career on Thursday. The German rider from Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe launched a bold attack from a breakaway in the final of Stage 18 and made it stick.
ADVERTISEMENT
You could easily call Denz and the Giro a happy marriage. In the 2023 edition, he claimed two stage wins, the biggest victories of his career. Now, on Thursday, he added a third by simply powering away so forcefully that the other breakaway riders couldn't follow.
The win brought out a wave of emotion for Denz, especially since the Giro had gone far from smoothly for his team up to that point. “This is probably my most emotional victory,” he said in the flash interview. He was referring to the withdrawal of several teammates, including team leader Primoz Roglic. “We lost Jai (Hindley, ed.) early in this Giro. And we had invested a lot in Primoz.”
Text continues below the video.
Denz pulled out the roadbook after Roglic’s withdrawal
“Not just the riders, but the entire staff had one big goal: to win the Giro with Roglic,” said Denz, giving a glimpse into the sometimes lonely life of a pro cyclist. “We spent two months at altitude. We’ve now been away from home for three months. I haven’t seen my wife and kids in all that time. And then you don’t just lose Primoz, you lose the dream. It feels like all that hard work was for nothing.”
But Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe didn’t let their heads drop. “Luckily, we were able to turn things around and find motivation again,” said Denz, who also had high praise for his young teammate Giulio Pellizzari, currently seventh in the general classification. “Giulio is doing an amazing job this Giro.” May 29th also happens to be Father’s Day in Germany, a detail Denz hadn’t forgotten. “Greetings from Dad,” he waved to his kids. “This one is really special.”
Denz being in the breakaway was no coincidence. “When Primoz left the Giro, I pulled out the Garibaldi (the race roadbook, ed.). Between the Mortirolo and the Finestre, there was only one stage that gave me a chance. I had a plan, and the team gave me the freedom to go for it today. I followed my instincts. In the final, the group wasn’t working well together. When I saw a little gap, I thought, why not? I went all in on that one card.”
Read also
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'.
IDL-productions
Celia Gery won the European cyclocross championship while awaiting surgery: 'It'll be a new beginning'
Dutch team coach De Knegt annoyed by European Cyclocross Championships dispute: "A bit of a let down"
Glasgow set to shine as World Cup demand outstrips expectations and Mason eyes first home cyclocross race
Pogačar, Vingegaard and Van Aert went faster again in 2026... except when they didn't
Team GB dominate, China on the rise, Lavreysen the best ever? Five takeaways from the 2026 Track World Championships
Latest Cycling News
Mads Pedersen weighs in on Lucinda Brand and Marie Schreiber's European Cyclocross Championship clash
Sven Nys gave an update on Lucina Brand's injury: 'Difficult if you can't generate power'
Pidcock's turbocharged vacation leads to struggles on the bike: 'No wonder people think cycling is hard'
Manon Bakker conquers the Niel mud after Lucinda Brand is forced to leave the race after just 5 minutes
Tadej Pogačar reveals his insane training data in new HBO film: 'I think that's what works best'
Popular Cycling News
Cycling transfers 2026/2027 | Cycling transfer market still in full swing in November
Tadej Pogačar reveals his insane training data in new HBO film: 'I think that's what works best'
Sven Nys spoke with Lucinda Brand straight after European Championship drama: 'Is that enough to ultimately relegate someone'
Fears of serious injury to Alvarado, bronze medalist, after the European Cyclocross Championships
Picnic PostNL's WorldTour uncertainty has five rival teams, and Tom Pidcock, watching the UCI closely
Latest Comments
- If he finished ninth at the Tour, why didn’t he get a stage win too? I’m still trying to understand how the overall standings work.julien11-11-2026
- No ‘cross at all this winter? That’s a shame, but with his road season starting in February, I can see why he’d want a proper break. Does stepping away mean he’s done with cyclocross for good?gearguru3311-11-2026
- I like the honesty of that training post. Even the best riders feel the difference after a few weeks off, and he’s got plenty of time to build back up.samanthak11-11-2026
- Three sets of tyres in two days at the Nürburgring! The man clearly doesn’t do anything by halves. Bet a winter without cyclocross will feel strange, though.bikebuffj11-11-2026
- Fifth in the world rankings after that autumn run is some achievement. Pidcock was so aggressive at the Tour, too—hopefully he can turn a few of those near-misses into wins inpatriciaw11-11-2026
- Does XEFI’s investment mean the team will have more money to sign riders, or is it mainly a sponsorship and naming change? And is Roglič expected to race much next season?jeremya11-11-2026
- If the roster is nearly complete, why bring up Roglič at all? Feels like the article is turning a firm “no” into a transfer rumour.andrewf11-11-2026
- Wuling is no joke—105 km of climbing to 3,275 metres is brutal. Five minutes off Dyball’s record is still an incredible ride.velodromevirtuoso111-11-2026
- Roglič at TotalEnergies would be a fascinating move, but Heulot sounds pretty clear that it isn’t happening. His experience could be a massive boost for the younger riders, though.jennifer1911-11-2026
- Eight riders told to go for stages, and nobody gets one—hard to know what the plan was there. It’ll be interesting to see whether they pick a clear leader next time.bikebuffj10-11-2026
