Paul Magnier wins again in the Giro after a thrilling sprint against Milan and Groenewegen

Paul Magnier (Soudal-Quick Step) confirmed in Sofia that he is the strongest sprinter at the start of the 2026 Giro d'Italia. The Frenchman won the third stage after a very tight sprint against Jonathan Milan (Lidl-Trek) and Dylan Groenewegen (Unibet Rose Rockets), marking his second victory in three days and bringing the win back to Soudal-Quick Step before leaving Bulgaria.

The Giro leaves Bulgaria with Paul Magnier as the great dominator of the sprints

The stage between Plovdiv and Sofia, covering 175 kilometers, seemed destined for a mass finish practically from the moment the route was presented. And although the breakaway held on much longer than expected, the peloton ultimately imposed its logic in the final meters.

The day's breakaway consisted of Manuele Tarozzi, Diego Pablo Sevilla, and Alessandro Tonelli, a trio that entered the last ten kilometers still with half a minute advantage over the peloton.

Tarozzi and Sevilla also took the opportunity to share the bonuses from the Red Bull KM, thus neutralizing any threat to the leadership of Guillermo Thomas Silva, who faced the stage wearing pink after his surprising victory in Veliko Tarnovo.

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The chase, however, never completely got out of control. The sprinters' trains always kept the breakaway within visual distance as they approached Sofia along long avenues and wide, practically straight roads.

With just two kilometers to go, the three escapees still had about fifteen seconds of margin, and for several moments, a surprise seemed possible. But when the sprinter teams finally launched their approach, the outcome was sealed.

Jonathan Milan opened the sprint from quite far out, about 250 meters from the finish, trying to take advantage of his power in a very fast finish. Groenewegen and Magnier immediately followed his wheel, and the Frenchman ultimately prevailed right on the line thanks to a much more explosive final burst.

The victory also came in a much tighter finish than in Burgas, where Magnier had won much more clearly before the massive crash on the first day.

Soudal-Quick Step celebrated the victory with special intensity in the team car, aware that the Frenchman is having a practically perfect start to the Giro. Magnier now has two stage wins, maintains the points jersey, and continues to establish himself as one of the great sprint revelations of the season.

Silva retains the Maglia Rosa before arriving in Italy

Behind, Guillermo Thomas Silva had no problems maintaining the overall lead on a calm day for the favorites.

The Giro now leaves Bulgaria after three very different stages: a chaotic sprint in Burgas, an explosive and accident-prone day in Veliko Tarnovo, and another mass sprint in Sofia. The race will now travel to Italy before facing the fourth stage between Catanzaro and Cosenza.

Stage 3 Results Giro d'Italia 2026

1. Paul Magnier (Soudal-Quick Step) – 4:09:42
2. Jonathan Milan (Lidl-Trek) – +00
3. Dylan Groenewegen (Unibet Rose Rockets) – +00
4. Madis Mihkels (EF Education-EasyPost) – +00
5. Matteo Malucelli (XDS Astana) – +00
6. Erlend Blikra (Uno-X Mobility) – +00
7. Pascal Ackermann (Jayco-AlUla) – +00
8. Davide Ballerini (XDS Astana) – +00
9. Tobias Lund Andresen (Decathlon CMA CGM) – +00
10. Enrico Zanoncello (Bardiani CSF-Faizanè) – +00