"I’ll remember this Giro for many years": Paul Magnier looks ahead to new targets after Giro success
Cycling
Paul Magnier wrapped up his Giro d’Italia without adding a fourth stage win, but that did little to dent an outstanding campaign for the Frenchman. The Soudal - Quick-Step sprinter left Italy with three stage victories and the Maglia Ciclamino awarded to the race’s top sprinter.
After completing the first Grand Tour of his career, Magnier assessed three weeks in which he confirmed his potential among the fastest men in the bunch, winning the special jersey in the points classification.
The Frenchman broke down during the sprint on the final stage and later admitted that a tactical choice cost him the chance to fight for the win in the last metres. "I think I made a small mistake with about 500 or 600 metres to go by moving up too early. I always prefer that to getting boxed in, but I felt I ran out of speed and the others came past with a lot of momentum," he said.
Magnier admitted it might have been wiser to let a few rivals roll through at that point, though he preferred to focus on the positives banked over the race.
Three wins and the maglia ciclamino
Far from dwelling on the final day, the Frenchman underlined the overall success of his Giro. Entering the race as former two-time points classification winner Jonathan Milan's main challenger, Magnier not only put up a great fight against the Lidl-Trek, but even triumphed in three head-to-head encounters. And would've very likely won for the fourth in Napoli if not for the critical crash on wet cobbles.
But that's not much of a worry to Magnier now, shifting focus to the positives: "We’ll try to keep the good memories of these three stage wins and the maglia ciclamino," he said.
He also believes this run showed he can trade blows with the world’s best specialists. "I think I’ve shown I can be among the top sprinters in the international peloton."
Magnier was keen to highlight the work of his Soudal - Quick-Step teammates in the bunch sprints. "The team did an exceptional job. I had really good legs and that combination worked perfectly," he noted.
He described this Giro as an unforgettable experience that will sit among his finest sporting memories. "It’s been an exceptional Giro and I’ll remember it for many years."
Paul Magnier, Soudal - Quick-Step star
Targets for the rest of the season
With the Italian race concluded, Magnier explained he will take some recovery time before returning to competition. Meanwhile, he stressed that a core group of the team will focus much of its effort on the upcoming Tour de France, where Jasper and Tim Merlier will lead the sprints. "I wish them the best. I truly believe Tim is the fastest sprinter in the world and I hope he can show it."
As for his own goals, the Frenchman is clear about the next big date on his calendar. "I’m going to rest and recharge. The main target will be the French Championships in a month."
Before tackling the final stretch of the season, Magnier also plans to race the Circuit Franco-Belge, the Muur Classic Geraardsbergen, the Tour de Pologne and the Renewi Tour, before reassessing how the rest of his schedule evolves.
Ondrej ZhasilCycling Journalist
Ondřej Zhasil is a cycling journalist at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2023. He is based in Ostrava, the third-largest city in the Czech Republic, and covers professional cycling across the main UCI competitions, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España. A key focus of his work is startlist analysis and pre-race coverage, where he examines team selections, rider line-ups, and tactical scenarios ahead of major events.
Alongside WorldTour coverage, Ondřej has developed specific expertise in junior cycling and in racing across East Asia, including competitions in China and Japan. He also maintains a broad working knowledge of other disciplines and levels, including cyclocross, while continuing to expand his understanding of mountain bike racing.
Ondřej holds a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Physics, which supports his analytical, data-driven approach to performance and race analysis. In his reporting, he regularly uses ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available.
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- I hope he rides a bitmij15-11-2026
- Greatest athlete this world has ever produced ! LOL ... you definitely are a comdian ! Cycling is so sprecialized and you think he's the greatest athlete ever ! Still laughing !frieders315-11-2026
- b.s. headline. Jonas wasn't told anything, it is just a pundit telling him what to do. the actual article is not even close to the insinuation of the headline.mij15-11-2026
- I think Roglic could have beaten Sepp. not Jonas. I was referring to Sepp.mij15-11-2026
- I'm deeply sick of this guy and his unwillingness to race seriously for more than a month or two. I'll never respect riders who do that. Seixas will be stronger than him next season, and maybe Del Toro as well. I don't even think he'll finish on the podium at any GT where Pogi, Seixas, and Del Toro are racing.megasmacky15-11-2026
- Not a chance in hell.megasmacky15-11-2026
- If you go watch some races from last season other riders that have never caught Jonas...are now catching him. Some are just riding away from him and he can't hold the wheelmd197514-11-2026
- He just doesn't have the desire anymore. I read an article earlier today that said he almost retired last year. His reasoning was he is away from home to much. Visma was able to keep him riding by allowing him to skip certain camps. So, while currently Visma is doing altitude work...Jonas is at home. Which means 2 things. 1- He maybe fresher than other riders. But, not the condition. 2-Is a somewhat slap in the face to others on the team that are supposed to help him win. Yet feel like he hasn't done what they have so perhaps they don't provide as good of protection or they ride more for theme (which the team may not notice).md197514-11-2026
- Roglic could not have won anyway, after Jonas followed him when Roglic decided it was his turn for a stage win. Jonas had already attacked Kuss twice, so it was Jonas who was within seconds of taking the lead before Kuss was 'gifted' the win. It felt a bit like Roglic was being thrown under the bus when the team made his unhappiness public.Hills3314-11-2026
- POG1, another nice doc about our favourite, I watched most of it with a big smile on my face (except for the bits about his crashes 😢 obvs!).Lozza14-11-2026
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