Giro d'Italia sensational, Arrieta wins stage but takes wrong turn: in pink Eulalio
Climactic end of the day at the Giro d’Italia 2026, where the fifth stage (which started in Praia a Mare and reached the finish in Potenza after 203 km marked by heavy rain) gives the Maglia Rosa to Portugal’s Afonso Eulalio, facilitated by an incredible mistake by Igor Arrieta. The Navarro cyclist from Team Emirates, in fact, won the stage but after taking a wrong turn 3 km from the finish by turning left instead of right, despite the fact that the passage was closed by a red and white ribbon that the Spaniard had failed to recognize. Both, moreover, had fallen to the ground during the course of the day, which was also marked by the difficulties of former general classification leader Giulio Ciccone.
This is not the first time Eulalio has put himself on display in a major international competition: last September, at the World Road Cycling Championships in Kigali, the Portuguese had finished in ninth position, in the same wake as Isaac Del Toro and Juan Ayuso, more than six minutes and forty seconds behind world champion Tadej Pogacar. A placing that had already hinted at his qualities as a complete rider, today confirmed by winning the Maglia Rosa.
Ciccone, on the other hand, pays for a day to forget. The Lidl-Trek cyclist from Abruzzo had only taken the race lead on Tuesday, at the end of the fourth stage from Catanzaro to Cosenza, where he had benefited from the 4-second bonus at the finish – in addition to the 2 seconds already forfeited at the Red Bull Km – to wear the Maglia Rosa for the first time in his career. A milestone that had moved him deeply: “I’ve experienced so many difficult moments at the Giro. The last one just a year ago, when I retired after a crash while a great result in the general classification was looming. But I’ve also experienced beautiful moments at the Giro, and today’s makes up for all the bad luck, injuries, Covid and so on.” The joy, however, lasted just twenty-four hours.
It is worth remembering that that fourth stage had been won by Jhonatan Narvaez, who had preceded Orluis Aular and Ciccone himself, after fending off an early attempt by teammate Jan Christen – now seventh in the general classification at 6’16” from Eulalio. Before Ciccone, the Maglia Rosa had belonged to Uruguayan Thomas Silva of XDS Astana Team, leader in the first three stages held in Bulgaria, and Frenchman Paul Magnier of Soudal Quick-Step, winner of the opening stage in Burgas and the third stage in Sofia.
The Giro d’Italia 2026, we recall, kicked off on May 8 from Bulgaria – the 16th time in history the Corsa Rosa has started outside national borders – and will end on May 31 in Rome, at the end of a total route of 3,459.2 kilometers and 49,150 meters of elevation gain. After the three Bulgarian stages, the caravan returned to Italy to tackle the southern fractions, with the route offering already highly anticipated appointments in the coming days: tomorrow the stage from Paestum to Naples, then on Friday the very tough finish at Blockhaus, the first major uphill test of this edition.
Giro d’Italia 2026, the new general classification:
1. Afonso Eulálio (Bahrain Victorious) 21:27:43
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2. Igor Arrieta (UAE Team Emirates XRG) +2:51
3. Christian Scaroni (XDS Astana Team) +3:34
4. Andrea Raccagni (Noviero Soudal Quick-Step) +3:39
5. Johannes Kulset (Uno-X Mobility) +5:17
6. Giulio Ciccone (Lidl-Trek) +6:12
7. Jan Christen (UAE Team Emirates XRG) +6:16
8. Florian Stork (Tudor Pro Cycling Team) s.t.
.
9. Egan Bernal (INEOS Grenadiers) s.t.
10. Thymen Arensman (INEOS Grenadiers) +6:18
11. Giulio Pellizzari (Red Bull – BORA – hansgrohe) s.t.
