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Hello and welcome to stage 18 of the Giro d'Italia!

2026-05-28T11:02:13.283Z

(Image credit: Getty Images)

2026-05-28T11:06:07.164Z

There haven’t been many successes for the pure sprinters this Giro. In fact, only two stages could be said to have come down to a straightforward sprint so far, with a late crash in Napoli putting paid to most of their hopes on stage 6, and an unlikely breakaway denying them a chance to sprint in Milan on stage 15.

Now today, on another flat stage that at first glance looks like one for a bunch finish, life has been made complicated for them by a late wall close to the finish.

2026-05-28T11:10:57.399Z

That late climb might only last 1.1km, but the fact it averages 11.1% (with a short stretch at about 20%), and is only 9km from the finish, makes it a serious challenge for the sprinters to get up still in contention.

2026-05-28T11:14:28.516Z

Another way that climb will shape the race is by discouraging the sprinter teams to chase, and therefore increasing the…