Paul Magnier made it two stage wins from the opening three days of the 2026 Giro d’Italia, producing another sharp sprint in Sofia to beat Jonathan Milan and take stage 3 of the Bulgarian Grande Partenza. Dylan Groenewegen finished third, while Thomas Silva held on to the maglia rosa heading into the first rest day.
After the crash chaos of stage 2, this was a much cleaner finale, but it still built towards a tense and fast finish. The 175km route to Sofia looked like one for the sprinters from the outset, even with the Borovets Pass sitting in the middle of the stage. That climb was enough to test the heavier fast men, but not enough to stop the strongest sprinters from coming back into the picture on the run to the line.
Early break shapes a controlled day
The stage began in familiar fashion with Diego Pablo Sevilla active again at the front, joined by Mirco Maestri in the day’s break. The pair were given some space, but never enough to make the bunch truly nervous.
Behind them, the peloton settled into a controlled rhythm. The sprint teams were comfortable with the composition of the move and the overall contenders had no reason to disrupt the stage too early, especially after the tension and damage caused by the crash on stage 2. For long stretches, it was a measured chase rather than an aggressive one.
That gave the day a slightly deceptive calm. Nothing dramatic was happening, but everyone knew the final hour would decide whether this stayed a sprint stage or became something more selective.
Borovets Pass softens the field
The Borovets Pass was the key terrain feature of the day, but it never became the launchpad for a major GC battle. Instead, it acted more as a filter. Riders slipped off the back, the pace lifted enough to make the legs sting, but the bunch never exploded.
That mattered for Magnier. His first stage win in Burgas had come through a hectic, crash-marred finish. This time the test was different. He had to survive a lumpy route, stay in position over the climb and still have the speed to finish it off against riders like Milan and Groenewegen.
The same was true for Milan, who had unfinished business after missing out on the opening stage. Lidl-Trek had every reason to believe this finish suited him, especially if the race stayed sufficiently controlled over the climb. By the time the stage flattened out again, the sense grew that the fast men would indeed get their chance.
Break brought back before the run into Sofia
As expected, the break was reeled in before the decisive phase. Maestri and Sevilla had another long day out front, but once the peloton began to tighten the gap properly, their chances were over.
From there, the familiar battle for position took over. Teams began to form up, the speed rose and the stage shifted from controlled chase to full sprint preparation. The roads into Sofia were not as chaotic as Burgas had been, but there was still the same shoulder-to-shoulder urgency as lead-out trains fought for the best line into the finish.
Soudal Quick-Step again did a strong job of keeping Magnier where he needed to be without wasting riders too early. Lidl-Trek were fully committed to Milan, while Groenewegen remained close enough to make it a three-way fight once the sprint opened.
Photo Credit: RCSMagnier times it perfectly
Milan launched first and for a moment it looked as though he had the stage in his hands. He hit the front in the final 150 metres and forced everyone else to come around him.
But Magnier had stayed patient. He waited on Milan’s wheel, used the slipstream and then came past late, timing his surge with real precision. It was not a dominant win in terms of distance, but it was a very assured one. He knew exactly when to go and had the speed to finish it.
Groenewegen came through for third, but the stage was really between Magnier and Milan, and once again it was the Frenchman who got it right.
Silva keeps pink before the race leaves Bulgaria
The other important detail from the day was what did not happen. There were no late time gaps among the overall contenders and no changes at the top of the general classification. Thomas Silva, after his historic stage 2 win, kept the maglia rosa heading into the rest day.
That meant the opening Bulgarian block ended with three clear storylines. Magnier confirmed that his first stage win was no one-off, Milan showed again that he will be there throughout the sprint opportunities, and Silva carried pink out of Bulgaria after becoming the first Uruguayan rider to win a stage at any Grand Tour.
Giro d’Italia 2026 stage 3 result
Results powered by FirstCycling.com
Main photo credit: RCS
