"He was riding really close to the motorbike" - Daan Hoole questions how Nico Denz stayed away on stage 18 of Giro d'Italia

Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe's Nico Denz soloed to the third stage win of his Giro d'Italia career on stage 18 of the 2025 edition. According to one of those riders who tried to chase down the German in vain however, Denz was helped massively in his ride to victory by a race motorbike.

“It was a beautiful stage and I think we rode well. It’s just a shame I was alone,” began the post-stage reflections of Lidl-Trek's Daan Hoole in conversation with Eurosport, having crossed the line in 7th, more than a minute down on Denz. “It was always going to be tough for me because I don’t really have a sprint. So I couldn’t count on that. Nico attacked from the front, it was very strong.”

Then came the questions however, with Hoole unsure just how Denz managed to hold off the chase. “I don’t want to make excuses, but he was riding really close to the motorbike. That’s a bit of a shame," he claims. "Although he is definitely a deserved winner,” Hoole adds quickly afterwards.

“But it just sucks that I couldn’t finish it off. My sprint actually went pretty well. I think I could have even finished third, but two riders almost bumped into each other, and I had to ease up. That’s unfortunate, though by then the win was already out of reach,” Hoole concludes. “That was a dumb mistake on my part. My sports director also told me I should be the first to go. But I was waiting for a straighter section of road, to launch from the back with speed. I waited too long, and when Denz went, it was over.”