Davide Ballerini (XDS Astana Team) has won stage 6 of the 2026 Giro d’Italia, the 141 km long Paestum-Napoli, ahead of Jasper Stuyven (Soudal Quick-Step) and Paul Magnier (Soudal Quick-Step).
It was a day for the sprinters in a fairly short stage from Paestum to Napoli and everyone knew the positioning in the last curve before the uphill stretch on the cobbles leading to the Plebiscito Square would impact the result. It did with Elmar Reinders and Dylan Groenewegen hitting the deck and stopping the progression of top sprinters like Jonathan Milan and Paul Magnier. In unexpected circumstances, Ballerini found himself ahead of the pack as he was leading Matteo Malucelli out. Only Jasper Stuyven in the same situation at the service of Magnier could threaten the Italian who managed to keep his advantage on the line.
Speaking in the press conference, the stage winner Davide Ballerini said: “I’ve been lucky to not have crashed. I’ve risked to crash as well. Had I been riding 0.2km/h faster, I would have hit the ground as well. My back wheel slipped a bit but I managed to stay on my bike. I knew today’s finish from the starts and finishes of stages of the Giro that we’ve had in Napoli in the past. We all knew that only a few drops of rain here can make the roads slippery. But in a sprint, you need to switch off the brain, otherwise you can’t make it. We tried to take the last curve with myself in first position and Matteo Malucelli second or third. I saw two riders crashing and I think Dylan Groenewegen was one of them. Then I heard through the radio that I had to sprint till the finish line. The hardest part of being a cyclist is when you do everything right and results don’t arrive but today luck is on my side”.
Paul Magnier staged a fantastic comeback to take third in Napoli behind his teammate Jasper Stuyven and increased his margin in the maglia ciclamino standings, where he has a 66-point advantage over the next rider – a lead that can make him dream of winning this prestigious jersey.
“I think I could have gotten a better result if not for that crash. The whole team worked hard and Jasper put me in a perfect position, but sadly, it was impossible to avoid that pile-up. I was still able to sprint and take third, but there’s some frustration after today’s outcome. On the other hand, I’m happy with the fact I cemented my place at the top of the points classification”, Magnier explained.
Afonso Eulalio (Bahrain Victorious) retains the Maglia Rosa as he leads the General Classification.
Eulalio said: “It means a lot to wear the Maglia Rosa. We have enjoyed it a lot today as a team, also our sport director with the car number 1 in the convoy. As I saw the others happy, I felt happier too. It was the right day with an sprinters’ stage to experience the Maglia Rosa, I’ll see day by day how it goes. I hope to have good legs tomorrow too. Normally I like these long hard days with an uphill finish but I don’t know what to expect. For myself and for my team-mates, I hope to stay in the lead for a few more days. I look good with this jersey”.
More details to follow.
Stage 6 Brief Results:
- Davide Ballerini (XDS Astana Team) – 141 km in 3h19’30” average speed 42.406 km/h
- Jasper Stuyven (Soudal Quick-Step) s.t.
- Paul Magnier (Soudal Quick-Step) s.t.
General Classification After Stage 6:
- Afonso Eulalio (Bahrain Victorious)
- Igor Arrieta (UAE Team Emirates XRG) at 2’51”
- Christian Scaroni (XDS Astana Team) at 3’34”
Official Jerseys:
- Maglia Rosa, leader of the General Classification, sponsored by Io Sono Friuli Venezia Giulia – Afonso Eulalio (Bahrain Victorious)
- 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 – Afonso Eulalio (Bahrain Victorious)
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