Paul Magnier (Soudal Quick-Step) has won Stage 3 of the 2026 Giro d’Italia in Sofia, Bulgaria. The win marks his second stage victory in the 2026 edition. Guillermo Thomas Silva retains the maglia rosa as the race returns to Italy.
Soudal Quick-Step’s Frenchman let the others open the sprint before launching another huge acceleration in the last 150 meters to edge out Jonathan Milan (Lidl-Trek) on the line and rack up his 28th victory for the Wolfpack. It was a win that helped the 22-year-old consolidate his lead in the maglia ciclamino classification, which has now increased to more than 40 points ahead of the race traveling to Italy for the fourth stage, set to take place on Tuesday.
“I dreamed about winning again after my first success here and I’m happy I could do it before leaving this country, where we felt great. The plan was to be well-positioned with one kilometer to go, and that’s what we did. The guys were fantastic, just like on Friday’s stage, and I want to thank them for that. It feels amazing to beat some of the best sprinters in the world and keep the beautiful ciclamino jersey on my shoulders”, said the youngest ever French rider to score two victories at a Giro d’Italia edition.
After tomorrow’s rest day, the XDS Astana Team Thomas Silva will start Tuesday’s stage in Italy wearing the Maglia Rosa for the first Italian stage of this year’s Giro d’Italia.
“Of course, today we wanted to do everything possible to keep the pink jersey. The team did a fantastic job – we let the breakaway go and then controlled the race throughout the day,” Silva said after the stage. “Closer to the finish, my teammates helped me stay in a good position in the peloton, while Matteo (Malucelli) and Davide (Ballerini) took part in the sprint. In the end, everything worked out well – the pink jersey stayed with us, and we are bringing it to Italy. I think it’s great to keep the pink jersey until the Italian stages, it gives us extra motivation. The last 24 hours have felt like a dream for me, it’s impossible to describe in words. In any case, I’m trying to enjoy every moment.”
Stage 3 Brief Results:
- Paul Magnier (Soudal Quick-Step) 4h 9’42”
- Jonathan Milan (Lidl-Trek) s.t.
- Dylan Groenewegen (Unibet Rose Rockets) s.t.
General Classification After Stage 3:
- Guillermo Thomas Silva (XDS Astana Team)
- Florian Stork (Tudor Pro Cycling Team) at 4″
- Egan Bernal (Netcompany Ineos) at 4″
Official Jerseys:
- Maglia Rosa, leader of the General Classification, sponsored by Io Sono Friuli Venezia Giulia – Guillermo Thomas Silva (XDS Astana Team)
- Maglia Ciclamino, leader of the Points Classification, in cooperation with ITA – Italian Trade Agency – Paul Magnier (Soudal Quick-Step)
- Maglia Azzurra, leader of the Gran Premio della Montagna Classification, sponsored by Banca Mediolanum – Diego Pablo Sevilla (Team Polti VisitMalta)
- Maglia Bianca, Best Young Rider Classification, born after 1 January 2001, sponsored by Conad – Guillermo Thomas Silva (XDS Astana Team)
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