Results Giro di Sardegna 2026 | Huge miss for Quick-Step; Belgian team duo beat by continental rider Nicolo Garibbo

Stage 1 of the Giro di Sardegna has delivered a very dramatic finale, as Soudal - Quick-Step had the numerical advantage; however saw themselves beaten by Team UKYO's Nicolo Garibbo who outpowered the World Tour duo at the end of a hard stage.

The opening stage of the race took the riders from Castelsardo to Bosa, 189 hilly kilometers that saw the peloton tackle two 12-kilometers where we could expect attacks. Dusan Rajovic, Matteo Spreafico, Philipp Hofbauer, Cristian Remeli and Hamish Armitt formed the day's breakaway.

On the day's final 12-kilometer ascent, still with over 60 kilometers to go, one of the main GC contenders Filippo Zana attacked off the front and began a new race that became quite tactical. The Soudal - Quick-Step rider was joined by Roberto Gonzalez, whilst a few other riders began to emerge from behind chasing in the hilly terrain. Gonzalez was dropped, but Zana was joined by his teammate Gianmarco Garofoli, Urko Berrade and Nicolo Garibbo.

The quartet collaborated efficiently to distance the peloton and although Quick-Step had numerical advantage, they didn't manage to make use of it; attacking in the finale with both of its riders, but not getting a gap. Garofoli then sacrificed himself in the finale as the team put aside the willingness to attack, and in the final sprint Zana did not have the legs to finish it off. Instead, it was Garibo who took an emotional and very surprising win to take the first lead of the race as well.