Nico Denz claimed a third career Giro d’Italia stage win on Thursday with a well-judged solo move on stage 18 from Morbegno to Cesano Maderno. The German rider, part of a strong Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe squad still reeling from the earlier exits of GC leaders Jai Hindley and Primož Roglič, attacked his breakaway companions with 19 kilometres to go and held on to take a hugely emotional victory.
The 144-kilometre stage, billed as a transition day before the decisive mountain doubleheader, was anything but straightforward. With three short climbs early on and temperatures soaring, the fight for the breakaway was aggressive from the start. A group of around 35 riders eventually went clear, including some of the day’s big names like Wout van Aert, Kaden Groves, and Mads Pedersen. However, it was a smaller group of seven riders who eventually broke free from that larger move.
Denz, initially behind, bridged across to the front group in the second half of the stage. Sensing hesitation and fatigue among the leaders, he attacked decisively with 19km remaining, using a technical section to force a gap. With his rivals looking at each other and struggling in the heat, the 30-year-old pushed on alone to the line, securing the win by around 50 seconds ahead of Mirco Maestri and Edward Planckaert.
“This is probably the most emotional of my victories at the Giro,” Denz said. “Losing Jai and then Primož, it felt like all our work was wasted. But I studied the road book and knew this was my day. I trusted my instinct and went for it.”
Photo Credit: LaPresseBehind the battle for the stage, GC action was limited, with the main favourites content to conserve energy ahead of stages 19 and 20. Isaac del Toro, still in the maglia rosa, finished safely in the peloton to retain his 41-second lead over Richard Carapaz. Simon Yates remains third, at 51 seconds.
One notable absentee from the GC group was Juan Ayuso. The UAE Team Emirates-XRG rider had already seen his Giro unravel after a crash on stage 9 left him with a persistent knee injury. But it was an incident on stage 17 that ultimately ended his race. A bee entered his helmet during the stage to Bormio, stinging him near the eye. He lined up at the start of stage 18 with his right eye swollen and vision impaired.
“It’s been a really hard couple of days. I can’t see out of my right eye,” Ayuso told reporters. “The team doctor said it was best for me not to start but I wanted to at least try.” He lasted just over 30 kilometres before pulling over and climbing into the team car. His withdrawal followed that of teammate Roglič two days earlier and marked the end of a bitterly disappointing Giro for the Spanish contender.
With Ayuso out and Del Toro still leading, UAE’s hopes now rest fully on the 21-year-old Mexican who faces his biggest test yet in the Alps. But Thursday belonged to Nico Denz, who turned heartbreak into triumph with a ride built on timing, instinct and resilience.
Photo Credit: LaPresse2025 Giro d’Italia Stage 18 result
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Main photo credit: LaPresse
