"I believe that I go all in for this" - Inside Afonso Eulálio's dramatic Giro d'Italia pink jersey capture
Cycling
Afonso Eulálio rode his way into the lead of the Giro d'Italia in a remarkable breakaway bid, gaining several minutes on the peloton while coming within meters of a stage win on Wednesday. The 24-year-old was pipped to the line in the final 100 meters of an attritional day of racing as riders battled gruelling weather and steep climbs.
The Bahrain-Victorious rider was joined by Igor Arrieta as the last remaining from the day's 12-man breakaway with roughly an hour of racing remaining. After an Arrieta crash with 13 kilometers to go, Eulálio too hit the ground eight kilometers later, before Arrieta also went off course around a corner, ultimately leading to a dramatic comeback victory for the UAE Team Emirates-XRG rider.
But despite stage honours heartbreak, Eulálio had plenty to celebrate at the line as he gained over seven minutes on the main group of favourites. He now takes the leader's jersey and boasts a healthy lead of +2:51 minutes on next placed Arrieta.
"For the moment I don't know yet! I don't believe it. It's incredible for me," the Portuguese rider admitted in his first interview since taking the Maglia Rosa.
Eulálio went all out for pink
Eulálio believed losing team leader Santiago Buitrago led to increased opportunities for him: "It's true, without Santiago [Buitrago] it opened some chance."
He admitted he could have done without the crash in the finale, and spent parts of the day suffering from the parcours and weather, but as it became clear that gap to peloton was large enough to target the race lead - he committed.
"In the final if I did it all without the crash it would be better, but it was a super hard day [with] the climbs, the weather. Some moments I felt that I'm not the best, but I think all guys feel the same, in the final I did quite good."
He added: "In this steep climb with 50 [kilometers] to go, I believe that I go all in for this [pink jersey], but also for the stage."
Damiano Caruso bet
Eulálio joked about a wager with teammate Damiano Caruso, who retires at the end of the season, as motivation to try to win two stages at the Giro, but underlined his focus on building consistency in performances with his team.
"I really want to win a stage also because I have a bet with Damiano Caruso. If I win two stages, he tells me he'll sign for one more year. But there are more chances".
"I try to work with the team and try to continue more consistency, no more up and down [performances]. But we will see, we work hard for this."
Becoming the third Portuguese rider to wear the Maglia Rosa, consistency will be key for Eulálio in his quest to hold onto the jersey - who humbly denied he can replicate compatriot João Almeida's run in pink back in 2020.
"It will be good [to wear pink], for sure. I can not do the same as Almeida. Almeida is super strong but I will try to do good in the next few days."
Gavin QuinnCycling Journalist
Gavin Quinn is a cycling journalist and ultra-distance cyclist with a BA in Journalism from Dublin City University. Formerly the Press & Communications Officer for Cycling Ireland, Gavin has worked inside the national team at the World Championships and has reported for the Irish Mirror, Mirror UK, and The42.
His expertise is backed by elite-level access, having interviewed stars like Sam Bennett and Ben Healy, as well as immense personal endurance. In 2025, he completed a 12,000km solo cycle from Ireland to Vietnam, following a 4,600km tour across Europe. From the cobbles of Paris-Roubaix to the gradients of the Tourmalet, Gavin’s writing focuses on the "romance and brutality" of the sport. Having visited 50+ countries, he brings a global, cultural perspective to his coverage of the pro peloton for CyclingUpToDate.
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