“I’m really disappointed” - Tobias Lund Andresen comes agonisingly close to Maglia Rosa in chaotic Giro d’Italia opener
Cycling
Tobias Lund Andresen was left wondering what might have been after coming desperately close to both the Maglia Rosa and the biggest win of his career on the opening stage of the 2026 Giro d’Italia in Burgas.
The Decathlon CMA CGM rider finished second behind Paul Magnier after a chaotic and crash-marred sprint finale split the peloton inside the final kilometre, with Ethan Vernon completing the podium behind the two young sprinters.
Speaking afterwards in conversation with Cycling Pro Net, Lund Andresen admitted the disappointment was immediate after feeling the stage had unfolded almost exactly as he and his team had expected beforehand. “I must say my team did exactly what I wanted to,” Lund Andresen explained. “As I expected there was everything crazy, so I lost the wheel a bit, but yeah, we all stuck to the plan and did it.”
The Dane had warned before the stage that the finale into Burgas could become chaotic despite the relatively straightforward profile of the opening day in Bulgaria. That prediction proved accurate as the sprint trains fought aggressively for position approaching the final corner, before a heavy crash split the bunch inside the final kilometre.
“If nobody had been on my wheel, I would have won”
Lund Andresen believed the only realistic way to beat the pure sprinters on the stage was to launch early and catch them slightly out of position rather than wait for a traditional drag race to the line. “I said I wanted the early sprint,” he explained. “I needed to beat these guys faster than me. I had to come from behind.”
That almost worked perfectly. Lund Andresen surged into contention as the sprint exploded following the late crash, but Magnier managed to stay with him before coming around for the stage victory and the first pink jersey of the race. “If nobody had been on my wheel, I would have won,” Lund Andresen said. “So yeah… I’m really disappointed.”
Asked specifically who had managed to follow him in the decisive moment, the Dane pointed directly toward the two riders who ultimately finished ahead of him. “Milan was there and Magnier was there,” he said. “He was strong.”
“It’s inevitable”
Lund Andresen also gave his view on the late crash that disrupted the finale, although he admitted he only saw the incident unfold beside him during the sprint. “It was just on my right side,” he explained. “I mean, what happens is everyone is crazy.”
The 22-year-old suggested the level of aggression inside the peloton had been building throughout the run into Burgas as teams fought for control before the first Grand Tour sprint of the season. “Just as I expected, there were a lot of elbows being given,” Lund Andresen said. “So it’s inevitable.”
While the stage victory and Maglia Rosa ultimately slipped away, the performance still marked an impressive opening statement from Lund Andresen, who showed throughout the finale that he has both the speed and positioning to challenge the biggest sprint names at this year’s Giro d’Italia.
Kieran WoodDeputy Editor-in-Chief
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He regularly contributes to DartsNews.com and CyclingUpToDate.com, where he covers professional cycling and darts. In cycling, his work includes liveblogs from major races, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, alongside race reports and analysis. He has also conducted interviews with professional riders.
His reporting spans the full racing calendar, from one-day classics to stage races, with a focus on accurate, real-time coverage and clear contextual analysis. For statistics, results, and historical context, he regularly uses resources such as ProCyclingStats. To support reporting on rider activity and training context where relevant, he also references Strava.
In his work, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles as new, verified information becomes available.
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- many people advise him to grow slowly and rather do giro and/or vuelta instead of tdf. but i can totally understand that he is not satisfied with taking over once pogi declines, but instead beat him in his prime. so if he goes for tdf again, i‘m all for it. let‘s hope that pogi recovers soon!Ketterechts07-11-2026
- So gracious to offer something no-one would be prepared to pay for. The Giro is not the Tour and doesn’t command the same interest or attract the same “elite” (those willing to pay to be a part of something they consider has ego boosting potential). Roadside viewing will always largely remain free for everyone outside circuits. Introduction of a symbolic entrance to mountain climbs is worthy of exploration. Asking 1-2€ isn’t going to repulse real fans (most will spend 50-100€ on their outing that day all things included) but will prevent a portion of the total knobhead thrillseekers who will join in any large gathering as long as it’s free, just because they’re attracted to crowds, without which it it difficult for them to work up their anti-social behaviour.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- How is radio going to help when someone went over a cliff or bridge or off the roadside into a forest unnoticed and is laying there unconscious?Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- Yep, next we’ll be accusing F1 drivers of avoiding Le Mans.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- But on what is that opinion based? Are you holding him to a different standard than others? Are you saying he should do learn to like something he doesn’t Are you saying he hasn’t achieved enough Are you saying he pretends to be better than his results? It’s actually a really strange opinion to oust if you consider it objectively or rationally. Try applying it to others or yourself by asking if not EVERYONE should then be doing more? Nobody in athletics or swimming gets criticism for not expanding their repertoire when a rival or someone else does. In fact, most who move to another event get accused of running from their rival. Opinions are boring, the reasons behind them are what count.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- for a medical chief to throw things like is just bad. There are already radios which were banned for spectacle. allow radios. Gps trackers are not a complete solutionabstractengineer07-11-2026
- Yeah man...PogiSloFans07-11-2026
- any rider less than 25 whether they are really ready for the position of leadership of GT is probably not the case. I think Pogi himself suffered when he was defeated by Jonas in the TDF twice. But that would be the team's job to ensure support so that they can bounce back. It requires a team and time to get back up and win after getting knocked down.abstractengineer07-11-2026
- I'm very glad he got the big late Quickstep Vuelta win and I hope he has a few left for Euskaltel-Euskadi.flyer07-11-2026
- My memories of Ivan Basso aren't good but I liked his sister Elisa ok.flyer07-11-2026
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