DISCUSSION - Giro d'Italia stage 19 - Are race commissaires ignoring UCI rules? Did Ciccone deserve the victory? Kuss delivers a masterclass
CyclingFriday, 29 May 2026 at 21:45
Sepp Kuss produced one of the standout performances of the race to win the queen stage of the Giro d'Italia after an exhausting day in the Dolomites. The American climber from Team Visma | Lease a Bike attacked from the breakaway and held off the chasing riders on the brutal final ascent to Pian di Pezzè.
Behind him, the general classification battle exploded once again, with Jai Hindley overtaking Thymen Arensman for third place overall.
The nineteenth stage featured 151 kilometres packed with climbing. After a manageable opening section, the riders faced a relentless sequence of mountain passes including the Passo del Duran, Coi and Passo Staulanza before tackling the towering Passo Giau, the highest point of this year’s Giro.
Even after the Giau, the suffering continued with the Passo Falzarego and the steep final climb to Pian di Pezzè.
Narváez abandons as breakaway battle erupts
The fight to enter the breakaway started immediately. Riders such as Wout Poels and Koen Bouwman repeatedly attacked, but the peloton kept the pace high during the opening kilometres.
An early twist came when Jhonatan Narváez abandoned the race after struggling with illness. The Ecuadorian’s withdrawal effectively settled the points classification battle in favour of Paul Magnier.
A dangerous move finally formed before the Passo del Duran, with riders including Chris Harper, Nico Denz and Florian Stork gaining an advantage before more riders bridged across.
Igor Arrieta from UAE Team Emirates - XRG refreshing Bart Lemmen from Team Visma | Lease a Bike
Ciccone launches mountain assault
The race took another turn on the Passo del Duran when Giulio Ciccone attacked from the peloton in pursuit of mountain points. The Italian quickly formed a powerful group containing Kuss, Enric Mas, Alberto Bettiol and Giulio Pellizzari.
Further behind, Tudor Pro Cycling Team increased the pressure with Michael Storer and Derek Gee trying to bridge across.
While several riders struggled in the mountains, Ciccone continued collecting KOM points throughout the day. The Italian crossed multiple summits first and eventually moved into the virtual lead of the mountains classification after conquering the Passo Giau.
Kuss and Gee emerge as strongest climbers
As the race climbed deeper into the Dolomites, the pace intensified dramatically. Riders including Mas and Poels were dropped on the Passo Giau as the front group became increasingly selective.
Near the summit, Pellizzari launched a fierce acceleration, immediately followed by Ciccone. Kuss and Gee managed to limit their losses and remained in contention for the stage victory.
Ciccone secured maximum points at the Cima Coppi, but the fight for the stage was far from over.
Tensions rose again on the Passo Falzarego when Einer Rubio denied Ciccone full mountain points at the summit. Frustrated, the Italian attacked hard on the descent and briefly opened a sizeable gap.
Jhonathan Narváez came to his team car to complain about what appeared to be a problem with one of his hands. Moments later, he abandoned the race
Arensman cracks as GC battle explodes
Once the riders reached the final climb, Ciccone’s effort began to fade. Kuss, Gee and Pellizzari gradually closed the gap while the favourites behind started their own battle for the podium places.
In the maglia rosa group, Egan Bernal initially increased the pace before Gregor Muhlberger took over for Felix Gall.
Gall eventually attacked, with race leader Jonas Vingegaard responding immediately. Hindley also stayed close to the front, but Arensman started to lose ground on the steep gradients.
The Dutchman suffered badly in the closing kilometres and eventually lost more than a minute to his direct rivals.
Kuss completes Grand Tour hat-trick
At the front of the race, Kuss proved unstoppable. The American climber powered past Ciccone and resisted a late challenge from Derek Gee to take a memorable victory in the Dolomites.
The triumph means Kuss has now won stages in all three Grand Tours during his career.
Gee finished second after an impressive ride, while Ciccone held on for third place. Gall and Vingegaard crossed the line together shortly afterwards, with Hindley arriving seconds later to secure a crucial gain in the overall standings.
Arensman’s difficult final climb ultimately cost him his podium position, with Hindley moving into third overall heading into the final mountain stages of the race.
Visma controls the chaos as Giro podium fight explodes in the Dolomites
Ruben Silva from CylingUpToDate was the first to speak about what happened on the road today in Italy and about the brutal day spent on the bike.
This was a stage designed for long-range attacks, and I've got mixed feelings about it. In the main GC fight, there were none, and everyone waited for the final climb. But the fact that everyone looked at Visma to pace meant that men inside the Top10 literally just rode their way into the breakaway. Damiano Caruso made his move; and later on Derek Gee and Michael Storer bridged across to form a full-on GC raid.
In a sense, that was good. We had Gee and Storer (Lidl and Tudor) battle Decathlon, INEOS and BORA behind... Effectively what I wished for happened: The podium contenders ignored Visma and did their own race today. Visma came along with all of the wins, winning the stage with a peak form Sepp Kuss and saving the pink jersey with Jonas Vingegaard. But both men just followed wheels to the finish pretty much.
The podium fight was interesting and whilst the breakaway men threatened the podium, an alliance behind controlled the gap. Decathlon and INEOS used their men perfectly to close down the gap; although it must be said that INEOS' use of Egan Bernal today was not good. A horrible choice in fact to have him not join the breakaway.
He could've climbed up the GC, could've won the stage... The team decided he was the only GC outsider who wouldn't try, so as to stay with Thymen Arensman. But the Colombian served absolutely no purpose to his teammate; and even if he was in front he could drop back at any point to support Arensman. The team lost the podium and is unlikely to get it back.
Giulio Ciccone was visibly irritated after Einer Rubio won the KOM sprint on Passo Falzarego
That is because the two pure climbers in Felix Gall and Jai Hindley are at their best-ever level and Arensman, despite having great form, is just not as strong of a climber on such steep ascents and in Piancavallo he will now also have to attack and drop them just to have the chance. But the GC fight was interesting, another all-out day of racing and although I hoped for more long-distance fireworks in the Dolomites, I can't complain.
The interesting moment of the day was Einer Rubio and Lidl-Trek's disputes. Apparently Rubio and Ciccone agreed that Ciccone would get the KOM points and Rubio would get the Red Bull Kilometer. But the message didn't go to Derek Gee, who had every reason to go and sprint for 6 seconds at that point in the race.
Rubio began firing bullets everywhere, reminding me of Miguel Ángel López. He sprinted against Ciccone out of anger at the top of the climb and simply entered a full-on war against them, even if it harmed his own chances of fighting for the win. Emotions ran high for two teams who failed to win a stage due to Visma's completely control of the Giro's mountains.
I am left wondering why Einer Rubio wanted a Red Bull Kilometer so bad that he was willing to fight over it, because he is not part of the GC or the fight for the points classification. It is a reward that, even if it brings a little money to the team, legitimately has no meaning results wise for him or the team.
Emotion, controversy and a new King of the Mountains
Carlos Silva from CiclismoAtual briefly touched on the incidents that unfolded on the road today, while also revisiting several moments from yesterday’s stage that he did not want to let pass without comment.
Today’s stage was a real mix of emotions for me. I truly wanted Giulio Ciccone to conquer the Dolomites, but the moment I saw Sepp Kuss in the breakaway, I immediately had the feeling that the American was going to win the stage. In fact, I even said it to Ruben earlier in the day, today’s stage had Kuss written all over it.
I also have to give credit to Lidl-Trek after some of the less positive comments I made about them yesterday. What a stage they delivered. Derek Gee and Ciccone were absolutely outstanding from start to finish. The Italian may not have raised his arms at the end of the day, but he still stepped onto the podium to pull on the blue jersey as the rightful King of the Mountains leader. That was fully deserved.
Tudor Pro Cycling also deserve a mention for the way they finally committed to racing as a team today. It made a clear difference and added another interesting layer to the stage dynamics.
And because it has been a long day and I am exhausted, I will finish as I always do, with a few observations.
The first goes to Einer Rubio. Regardless of the so-called gentleman’s agreement in the breakaway, those exchanges of words after the Red Bull KM sprint were completely unnecessary. Whether he was right or wrong, it was not a good look. In the end, though, he got his revenge by taking the KOM points himself and denying Ciccone the chance to score those valuable 18 points on the penultimate climb of the day.
My final observation, and at the same time a question, goes to the race organisation and the commissaires.
Yesterday I made my frustration very clear regarding several situations, but today I genuinely want an answer. Why was the Eurosport reporter on the motorbike, the same one who interviewed Jonas Vingegaard during the stage, not removed from the race? Why are UCI regulations enforced in some situations and ignored in others?
And while we are at it, Afonso Eulálio was fined and handed a yellow card for resting his forearms on the handlebars, considered dangerous riding under UCI regulations. Yet Jasper Stuyven was not punished for celebrating Paul Magnier’s victory before even crossing the finish line himself.
So I have to ask, are there two different standards being applied?
The calm before the Dolomites
Sepp Kuss conquers the Dolomites as the Giro podium battle erupts behind Vingegaard
Pascal Michiels from RadsportAktuell shared his thoughts, saying:
Now this is what a Grand Tour should feel like. Stage 19 did not blow the Giro apart at the very top, because Jonas Vingegaard never really looked troubled. Instead, the headline glory went to Sepp Kuss, who seized his chance from the breakaway and added a Giro stage win to his Tour and Vuelta victories. A perfect reward for one of cycling’s great mountain lieutenants.
But just below Vingegaard, the race finally caught fire. Thymen Arensman, Felix Gall and Jai Hindley turned the fight for the podium into something raw, tense and wonderfully unpredictable.
For Arensman, this was a horrible day to have a bad day. The Dutchman came into the Dolomites with a podium place in his hands, but the final climb exposed the smallest crack. When Gall accelerated, Vingegaard followed without fuss. Hindley bent, but did not break. Arensman, though, had to let them go.
That is the cruelty of the Giro. You can ride brilliantly for nearly three weeks, survive rain, pressure, attacks and endless climbing, and then lose the thing you wanted most in a few brutal kilometers.
Hindley deserves credit for the way he handled it. He did not need some wild, romantic attack from distance. He simply stayed alive when Arensman could not. That may not look spectacular on television, but it is exactly how podium places are won. Calm head, strong legs, perfect timing.
Gall was even more impressive. He rode like a man who knew he belonged there. His move on the final climb was not desperate; it was confident. He strengthened his grip on second place and reminded everyone he is one of the best climbers around.
So yes, Arensman lost the podium today. But he did not lose our attention. The question now is how he responds. That is what makes this Giro so good: Kuss has his dream win, Gall looks powerful, Hindley looks dangerous, and Arensman suddenly has nothing to protect and everything to chase.
Visma dominate the Giro once again as Kuss shines and Movistar collapse
Jorge Borreguero from CiclismoAlDia praised Kuss’ victory and shared his opinion on the Spanish team competing in the first Grand Tour of the year.
What Visma did in this Stage 19 was another tactical and structural masterclass from a super team. And perhaps that is the most devastating thing for the rest of the peloton: they did not even need to attack the GC to make it clear they completely control this Giro.
Sepp Kuss’ victory carries enormous symbolic value, completing the trilogy of stage wins across all three Grand Tours. Kuss did not waste a single bullet on the Giau, he did not panic after Giulio Ciccone’s long-range attack, and he chose the exact right moment to finish the job. When he bridged across with two kilometers to go and attacked immediately, he projected brutal psychological superiority. Ciccone was empty, Kuss still had another gear.
But the team’s biggest victory was not just the stage win. Visma once again came through the most dangerous day of the Giro completely unscathed. Jonas Vingegaard did not lose a single second on a queen stage with more than 5,000 meters of climbing.
There is also another very important detail regarding Visma: their work in the young riders classification. Davide Piganzoli taking time back on Eulalio shows that Visma have a complete vision of the race. Every second matters, every classification matters, and every rider knows exactly what his mission is. And then there is the disaster of Movistar Team.
The Spanish team’s management of the stage was extremely difficult to understand. Burning Einer Rubio in every mountain sprint during a brutal survival stage was an obvious strategic mistake. Every acceleration to grab points was energy that was later missing on the Giau and Piani di Pezzè. When the truly decisive moment arrived, Rubio was already at his limit. That completely ruined his chances of fighting for the stage win.
And Enric Mas once again looked indefensible. Getting dropped with 58 kilometers to go on the queen stage, after making it into such a strong breakaway, is a complete failure. The Spaniard once again gave the impression of a rider unable to sustain the competitive intensity when the race turns into total warfare.
Results powered by FirstCycling.com
GC battle, INEOS, Movistar and Sepp Kuss
All three analysts agreed on one key conclusion: the Giro d'Italia remains completely under the control of Team Visma | Lease a Bike. Even without launching major GC attacks, the Dutch squad once again dominated the queen stage tactically, protected Jonas Vingegaard perfectly, and still managed to take the stage victory through Sepp Kuss. The overall feeling was one of total authority over the race.
At the same time, they all highlighted that the real drama unfolded behind the Maglia Rosa, particularly in the fight for the podium. Felix Gall and Jai Hindley emerged stronger from the Dolomites, while Thymen Arensman was clearly the biggest loser of the day after cracking on the final climb. There was also a shared sense that Visma’s rivals ended up racing more against each other than against the race leader himself.
Finally, both Ruben Silva and Jorge Borreguero strongly criticised the tactical decisions of teams like Netcompany INEOS and Movistar Team. Einer Rubio’s obsession with intermediate points and KOM battles was viewed as wasted energy on such a brutal mountain stage. Pascal Michiels, meanwhile, focused more on the emotional side of the race, emphasising the cruelty of a Grand Tour, where three weeks of consistency can collapse within just a few kilometres.
And you? What did you make of the stage 19 of the Giro d'Italia 2026? Tell us your thoughts, share your opinion on all the key moments and incidents from the race, and join the discussion.
claps 4visitors 4
Just in
Popular news
Latest comments
- Mou(se) in the house! YAWN !frieders330-05-2026
- Your obsession with licking and bars is quite disconcerting but to each their own I guess.
Andrew30-05-2026 - Werent the the two trekies talking to each other ? Well done Sepp and especially Jai Hindley ,hopefully he holds onto the podium.Davide29-05-2026
- "it was a thing for GC riders due to bonifications, I had nothing to do with that" -- non-denial.LumbarDeniro29-05-2026
- Even at the best of times, Ciccone rides with a red mist before his eyes. He brings an unfiltered Italian passion to the Giro, and regardless of the debate surrounding the decision not to assist Gee, he has fought his way into the Maglia Azzurra. We love him for his quintessential Italian passion, and I genuinely wouldn’t want him any other way. He is one of the personalities that sparks a stage, and we, as fans, soak it all up.anonymouscyclist29-05-2026
- All is fair in love and war, and sometimes in bicycle races as well.
santiagobenites29-05-2026 - Bet it won’t stop you blurting out your usual broken record.Mistermaumau29-05-2026
- That wife sounds more like the one who gave birth to youMistermaumau29-05-2026
- This guy is a delusional foolMaster-Dirk29-05-2026
- MOU is a tough and manly incel. No woman will ever control him ( or talk to him)mobk29-05-2026
Loading
Write a comment