Jhonatan Narváez wins again in the Giro d’Italia 2026, claiming his third stage victory in just eleven days after defeating Enric Mas in Chiavari

Jhonatan Narváez continues to turn the 2026 Giro d'Italia into his race. The Ecuadorian from UAE Team Emirates-XRG won the eleventh stage between Porcari and Chiavari after clearly defeating Enric Mas in a sprint reduced to two riders. This is his third victory in eleven days and the fourth win for UAE in this edition, despite the team being heavily affected by the massive crash in Bulgaria.

Enric Mas misses out on a prize after a great offensive stage in the Giro

The stage, spanning 195 kilometers, had a fast and nervous first half and a much more selective second part on the way to Liguria. The route accumulated 2,850 meters of elevation gain and four climbs in the final stretch, enough to open the door to a strong breakaway. And that is exactly what happened after more than two hours of attacks, splits, and chases.

The breakaway took a long time to form

The start from Porcari was a constant battle. During the first hour, the pace was above 50 km/h and no group managed to consolidate. Giulio Ciccone tried several times, but the peloton never granted him freedom. There were also moves from Jasper Stuyven, Davide Ballerini, Jhonatan Narváez, Lennert Van Eetvelt, Enric Mas, and several riders from XDS Astana.

The race began to clarify in the La Spezia area when a large group finally gained an advantage. Among the most important names were Enric Mas, Jhonatan Narváez, Christian Scaroni, Diego Ulissi, Aleksandr Vlasov, Chris Harper, Lennert Van Eetvelt, Filippo Zana, Warren Barguil, Jasper Stuyven, and several riders from Polti-VisitMalta and XDS Astana.

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Behind, Netcompany Ineos took part of the control with Filippo Ganna, especially watching the presence of well-placed riders in the general classification like Scaroni, Harper, or Van Eetvelt.

Narváez was again the strongest on the climbs

The breakaway began to break apart definitively in the second half of the race. The Passo del Termine, La Foce, and the Colle di Guaitarola were selecting the group before the two final key points of the day, the Colla dei Scioli and the climb to Cogorno.

Narváez again gave a huge sense of superiority. Every time the road tilted upwards, the Ecuadorian responded with apparent ease. Enric Mas also showed himself to be very active and sought to inflict damage on the climbs, aware that the sprint was not his best scenario against the Ecuadorian champion.

The day also had moments of high tension. Lennert Van Eetvelt, Christian Scaroni, and Filippo Zana went down in a dangerous curve during the descent, although all three were able to continue. Davide Ballerini, winner in Naples, also abandoned after a previous crash.

Mas tried, but Narváez did not fail

In the last important climb, Cogorno, of 4.6 kilometers at 6.7% with ramps of up to 13%, Mas accelerated strongly but Narváez stayed on his wheel. Behind, Harper, Vlasov, and Ulissi tried to close the gap, but they never managed to catch up.

Mas and Narváez crested together and faced the last kilometers towards Chiavari with a sufficient lead. The descent and the final urban stretch did not break their collaboration, although under the banner of the last kilometer, both began to watch each other.

The outcome was clear. Narváez, much faster in a reduced sprint, launched the finish with authority and easily surpassed Mas to add his third stage victory in this Giro, following those achieved in Cosenza and Fermo.

Eulálio remains in pink

In the general classification, there were no significant changes among the top favorites. Afonso Eulálio maintained the pink jersey, with Jonas Vingegaard still very close after the time trial in Massa, as the race continues to enter an increasingly selective phase.

Narváez's victory confirms one of the great stories of this Giro: a UAE team greatly reduced by withdrawals, but capable of continuing to win stages almost every time they find terrain for an offensive.

Top 10 stage 11 Giro d'Italia 2026

1. Jhonatan Narváez (UAE Team Emirates) – 4:33:43
2. Enric Mas (Movistar Team) – at 0 s
3. Diego Ulissi (XDS Astana) – at 11 s
4. Chris Harper (Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team) – at 11 s
5. Aleksandr Vlasov (Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe) – at 11 s
6. Christian Scaroni (XDS Astana) – at 1:13
7. Ludovico Crescioli (Polti VisitMalta) – at 1:15
8. Simone Gualdi (Lotto Intermarché) – at 2:17
9. Warren Barguil (Team Picnic PostNL) – at 2:19
10. Andrea Raccagni (Soudal Quick-Step) – at 2:19