Story perspectives

Magnier Wins Giro Stage 1, Claims Pink Jersey Amid Crash

5/9/2026

Summary

Magnier Takes Pink

Paul Magnier (Soudal-QuickStep) won stage 1 of the Giro d'Italia in Bulgaria and took the pink jersey.
He earned a 10-second bonus, moving four seconds ahead of Tobias Lund Andresen (Decathlon-CMA CGM) in the general classification.
A crash 600 metres from the finish blocked the narrow road, left about a dozen riders to sprint and injured Dylan Groenewegen (Unibet Rose Rockets) and Kaden Groves (Alpecin-Premier Tech), the former with a wrist injury.

Summary

Magnier Wins Stage

Soudal-QuickStep secured its first WorldTour win of the season and first victory in two years when Magnier took stage 1.
Magnier said wearing the pink jersey was special because he had previously earned it on the Baby Giro.
Leadout duo Jasper Stuyven and Dries Van Gestel, whose partnership began in December 2024, positioned Magnier for the sprint and executed the plan to stay around tenth to fifteenth before a late acceleration.

Summary

Reef Avoids Crash

Visma director Reef said his team stayed in the background during the final kilometre to avoid the crash.
Jonas Vingegaard finished deeper in the peloton, confirming the risk-averse plan for the general classification.
The pile-up began when Tord Gudmestad swerved to avoid metal feet on the barrier, causing a domino effect that involved over ten riders.

History

Historical Context

In 1931 the Giro d'Italia introduced the maglia rosa, a pink leader’s jersey designed by Vittore Gianni for La Gazzetta dello Sport, with Learco Guerra first wearing it after the opening stage. The race also added a 10-second bonus for stage winners, later adopted by the UCI. Today Soudal-QuickStep’s sprint strategy reflects that early focus on positioning and safety.

1 of 4

Magnier Takes Pink

Paul Magnier (Soudal-QuickStep) won stage 1 of the Giro d'Italia in Bulgaria and took the pink jersey.
He earned a 10-second bonus, moving four seconds ahead of Tobias Lund Andresen (Decathlon-CMA CGM) in the general classification.
A crash 600 metres from the finish blocked the narrow road, left about a dozen riders to sprint and injured Dylan Groenewegen (Unibet Rose Rockets) and Kaden Groves (Alpecin-Premier Tech), the former with a wrist injury.

1 / 4