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Bicycle Racing News and Opinion,

Thursday, May 28, 2026

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Never forget that everything Hitler did in Germany was legal. - Martin Luther King, Jr.

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Current racing

• May 8 - 31: Giro d'Italia

Upcoming racing:

• June 1 - 6: Ethias-Tour de Wallone
• June 7: Brussels Cycling Classic
• June 7 - 14: Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
• June 10: Circuit Franco-Belge

Latest completed racing:

• May 28 - 31: Tour of Norway
• May 20 - 24: 4 Jours de Dunkerque
• May 23: Veenendaal - Veenendaal
• May 19: Classique Dunkerque
• May 17: Rund um Köln
• May 16: Tour du Finistère
• May 10: Tro-Bro Léon
• April 26 - May 3: Tour of Turkey
• April 28 - May 3: Tour de Romandie
• May 1: Eschborn-Frankfurt
• April 26: Giro dell'Appennino
• April 23 - 26: Vuelta Asturias
• April 26: Liège-Bastogne-Liège

We posted the report from stage winner Michael Valgren's Team EF Education-EasyPost with the results.

Here's the Giro stage seventeen report from third-place Damiano Caruso's Team Bahrain Victorious:

Damiano Caruso finished third on Stage 17 of the Giro d’Italia, taking another strong result for Bahrain Victorious in Andalo and moving into the top 10 in the general classification, while Afonso Eulálio retained the Maglia Bianca.

Michael Valgren (EF Education-EasyPost) won the stage after attacking in the final kilometre, with Andreas Leknessund (Uno-X Mobility) second and Caruso third after a strong ride from the day’s breakaway.

Damiano Caruso finishes third in stage 17. Sirotti photo

The 202km stage from Cassano d’Adda to Andalo was expected to be a day for the breakaway, with a flat opening part before the route became more demanding in the second half. The riders faced Passo dei Tre Termini and Cocca di Lodrino before the final section towards Molveno and Andalo, where the race opened up again on the last part  into the finish.

The stage was aggressive from the beginning, with many riders trying to enter the breakaway after the first kilometres on flat roads. Caruso was alert in the early part of the race and eventually made it into the main move, giving the team, representation at the front on a stage that was difficult to control.

The breakaway stayed clear into the final part of the stage, where the front group reduced and the attacks started. Caruso remained in contention through the final kilometres and played his cards in the closing phase, crossing the line third, six seconds behind Valgren, who secured the stage victory with a late move.

The result also moved Caruso into the top 10 in the General Classification, adding further value to his podium finish on a day where he spent much of the stage in the breakaway.

Speaking after the stage, Caruso said:
“It was really hard today. From the beginning, everyone knew it could be a breakaway stage, so I think almost 170 riders tried to join the move. It was a big fight, especially in the first part, because it was completely flat.

"Then, on the first KOM, I tried to make it across and finally joined the breakaway. After that, it was a long day with many riders in front, and in the final it became really hard. When we were down to 10 or 12 riders, everyone started attacking each other, and I have to say I was on the limit.

"But I was also smart to play my cards until the end. To finish on the podium means a lot for me. I am almost 39 years old, this is my last Giro d’Italia, and my dream is to leave this race with a great memory. Of course, I missed the victory, but honestly, I feel like I won today, because once again I showed myself that I have character.

"I want to say thank you for all the support, especially from the staff and the team, because they believed in me, and that means a lot. And of course, thank you to all the fans cheering for me during the whole day and during these three weeks. I’m happy, and that is the most important thing.”

Eulálio finished safely with the GC group and retained the Maglia Bianca, keeping the lead in the young rider classification with four stages remaining.

Afonso Eulálio said:
“One more day in the white jersey. We are super happy for one more day in the Maglia Bianca. Today we had Damiano in the breakaway, he had the opportunity and he took it, so this is really good.

"Of course, we wanted the victory. I think Damiano deserved it, and the team would have been super happy with one more win, but we still have more opportunities in the next days.

"For me, with the jersey, I arrived safely in the final with the GC group, and that was the main thing today. I want to thank once again to all the team.”

Sports Director Franco Pellizotti said:
“We are really happy and proud of Damiano today. It was a good opportunity for him to go for the stage, especially in his last Giro d’Italia, and he fought until the end. It was not easy in such a big group with many strong riders, but he managed the race well and reached the podium. We are happy and proud of his effort.”

The Giro d’Italia continues tomorrow with Stage 18 from Fai della Paganella to Pieve di Soligo, a 171km stage with another profile suited to attacks before the final mountain stages of the race”.

Here's the Giro stage seventeen report from fourth-place Aleksandr Vlasov's Team Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe:

Aleksandr Vlasov finished fourth on stage 17 of the Giro d’Italia after Red Bull – BORA – hansgrohe placed two riders in the breakaway on the road to Andalo.
The 202-kilometre stage from Cassano d’Adda to Andalo was shaped by an aggressive opening, with the day’s move forming in several waves. Mick van Dijke was among the riders to bridge across early, while Vlasov later appeared in the decisive front group as the breakaway began to shape the race.

Aleksandr Vlasov finishes fourth in Giro stage 17. Sirotti photo

As the peloton was no longer in contention for the stage victory, the race at the front became increasingly tactical. Attacks split and reshaped the breakaway in the final 50 kilometres, but both Red Bull – BORA – hansgrohe riders remained well positioned. Inside the final 25 kilometres, Van Dijke and Vlasov were both part of a ten-rider group at the head of the race.
On the final approach to Andalo, the leading group was reduced again. Van Dijke lost contact before the final selection, while Vlasov stayed in contention as the front of the race came back together in the closing kilometres.
The stage was decided by a late attack from Michael Valgren, who went clear under the flamme rouge and held on for the win. Vlasov sprinted to fourth place from the select group behind, while Van Dijke finished 18th after a strong day in the breakaway.
With the general classification largely unchanged for Red Bull – BORA – hansgrohe, the Giro now continues into its final stages.

Thymen Arensman's Team Netcompany INEOS posted this Giro report:

Thymen Arensman and Egan Bernal held station at the Giro d’Italia following an undulating 17th stage.

Netcompany INEOS were content to sit and consolidate within the peloton as a breakaway went on to contest stage honours into Andalo.

The team were alive to danger during the early kilometres and covered a number of moves during the break formation phase.

Thymen Arensman finishes stage sixteen. Sirotti photo

The end result sees Arensman remain third overall with four stages to go, while Bernal now sits in 11th place as the GC went largely unchanged on the day.

With 29 riders up the road, the battle for the stage win went down to the wire on the uphill ramp to the line, with Michael Valgren (EF Education - Easypost) prevailing.

The action continues on Thursday with a flatter stage, before two back to back major mountain days to fully decide the GC battle before the finale on Sunday in Rome.

GC leader Jonas Vingegaard's Team Visma | Lease a Bike posted this Giro stage seventeen report:

Team Visma | Lease a Bike safely navigated the seventeenth stage of the Giro d'Italia. General classification leader Jonas Vingegaard and his teammates crossed the finish line in Andalo without any issues. The stage victory went to early breakaway rider Michael Valgren.

Stage seventeen of the Giro d'Italia was contested between Cassano d'Adda and Andalo and featured more than 3,000 meters of climbing. With its hilly route, the stage looked well suited for a breakaway beforehand, and that proved to be the case. A large lead group was allowed to go clear early in the day.

In the peloton, Team Visma | Lease a Bike controlled the race but did not chase the stage win. The breakaway gradually shrank on the climbs in the finale, with Valgren eventually proving to be the strongest rider up front. The Dane launched a decisive attack in the closing stages to secure the stage victory. Vingegaard crossed the line five minutes behind his compatriot, together with the rest of the peloton. 

Jonas Vingegaard will start stage eighteen in pink. Sirotti photo

“We had already decided beforehand not to go for the stage win today,” Vingegaard said afterward. “We’ve already had two tough weeks, and the Giro is not over yet. My teammates were able to take it a bit easier today. I’m very happy for Michael. He’s had a lot of bad luck in his career, so this stage win is a wonderful reward for all his hard work.”

And here's the Giro stage seventeen report from Gianmarco Garofoli's Team Soudal Quick-Step:

Stage 17 of the Giro d’Italia took in some truly breathtaking scenery as the peloton arrived in Trento, one of the country’s most stunning regions. Long before the start, everyone agreed that the profile of the day was ideal for a breakaway to go all the way, and that made for a fierce battle in the opening hour of the race as dozens of riders were determined to make it into the first group.

A breakaway took shape after more than 40 kilometers, and with most teams represented there, the peloton finally relented and allowed 20-odd riders to open a substantial gap. Gianmarco Garofoli and Fabio Van den Bossche were the two Soudal Quick-Step men there, helping the move increase their lead to seven minutes. Inside 35 kilometers to go, the Italian responded to an attack, which led to another group forming on the hilly roads to Andalo, where the race returned after ten years.

Gianmarco Garofoli finishes seventh in stage seventeen. Sirotti photo

The steep slopes of the last ascent proved to be a bit too much for the 23-year-old, but he didn’t throw in the towel and fought hard, gritting his teeth to bridge across. Eventually, the last ramps of the day put an end to his spell at the front of the group, but Gianmarco still had something left after this draining day of racing to finish seventh and rack up his sixth top-ten of the season.

“Today was a really hard day, with many strong riders at the front. I did my best to be in the mix for victory, but missed out on staying with the main group for just a bit on the penultimate climb. I am content to be at this level in the third week of the Giro and it was nice to be in the top ten again. We have a few more stages to go and we’ll keep trying”, Gianmarco explained after the stage.