"I rode MTB because it was fun": the leader of the Giro d'Italia recalls his beginnings in XCO

The fifth stage of the 2026 Giro d'Italia completely changed the race and left one of the most unexpected stories of this season's start. Afonso Eulálio (Bahrain Victorious) finished the day dressed in pink after a chaotic day towards Potenza, thus culminating a meteoric rise that just a few years ago seemed impossible.

Afonso Eulálio, from the Portugal XCO Cup to the Maglia Rosa of the Giro: “I rode MTB because I enjoyed it”

Because before reaching the WorldTour and becoming the leader of the Giro, the Portuguese was competing in mountain biking. Specifically in junior events of the Portugal XCO Cup during 2018 and 2019, when he was still developing much of his training on mountain bikes.

Now, at 24 years old, he has just become the third Portuguese in history to wear the Maglia Rosa after Acácio Da Silva and João Almeida.

“I rode MTB because I enjoyed it”

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After the stage, Eulálio left some of the most spontaneous and sincere statements of this Giro when recalling those years in MTB.

“I raced in mountain biking in Portugal and I had a lot of fun. I was happy. Now I race in the WorldTour and I'm here in the Giro with the Maglia Rosa. It's incredible. It's not a dream, it's madness.”

The Bahrain Victorious rider also explained how he ended up in road cycling: “Some teams asked me to try road cycling. I liked it and now I'm here in the WorldTour.”

The Portuguese's progression has been incredibly fast. He made the professional leap with Bahrain Victorious in 2025 and just one season later he is already leading a grand tour.

Eulálio was also very close to completing a historic double in Potenza. The Portuguese arrived prominently alongside Igor Arrieta after a day marked by rain, constant attacks, and a completely uncontrolled peloton.

Both riders even suffered falls in the final kilometers, and Eulálio himself admitted after the finish that he barely understood what had happened. “I also fell. It was all chaotic and very fast.”

The Portuguese wanted to especially highlight the work of his mechanic during the bike change after the fall: “I have to thank the mechanic because he was incredible and gave me the bike immediately. In those moments, you don't think about the pain, you just want to keep pedaling to win the stage and take the Maglia Rosa.”

DOWN GOES EULALIO!!

The Portuguese rider is back on the bike, and Igor Arrieta is now back on his wheel!

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— Giro d'Italia (@giroditalia) May 13, 2026

He ultimately ended up conceding victory to Arrieta in the final meters, completely empty after more than 200 kilometers of effort: “We arrived dead. We were fighting on the bike. That wasn't a sprint.”

Bahrain loses Buitrago… and finds an unexpected leader

The Giro for Bahrain Victorious seemed to have become very complicated after Santiago Buitrago's abandonment in the massive fall in Bulgaria. However, the team reacted immediately, seeking prominence from the breaks and now finding unexpected leadership with Eulálio.

The Portuguese also had very important words for Damiano Caruso, one of the veterans of the team and a key figure in his evolution: “He is my captain. Damiano is one of the best people on the team. I learn a lot from him.”

Both recently shared a high-altitude training camp in Teide before the Giro: “We did a training camp together in Tenerife and it was perfect.”

The Blockhaus will decide how long the dream lasts

Although Eulálio now emerges as a solid leader of the race, the Portuguese himself acknowledges that defending the Maglia Rosa will not be easy: “I have many minutes, but on Friday there is a very long stage and a very tough climb.”

He is referring to the Blockhaus, the first major mountain finish of this Giro and one of the most anticipated days for the overall favorites. Furthermore, the Portuguese knows that there is still the long 42-kilometer time trial in Tuscany, a terrain where he admits he needs help: “Maybe my girlfriend Marisa Ferreira can help me. She was also a cyclist and was a very good time trialist. She even was a national champion.”