The 2026 Giro d’Italia is now well underway. After three days in Bulgaria, marked by several heavy crashes, the season’s first Grand Tour will return to its home soil from Tuesday onwards. After crashing on Friday, Paul Penhoët claimed eleventh place in Sunday’s bunch sprint, while Josh Kench showed promising signs during Saturday’s first selective stage. Several opportunities are looming in the week ahead.
It was not from the capital Sofia, but from the shores of the Black Sea, that the Bulgarian Grand Départ of the Giro d’Italia got underway last Friday. Starting from the historic city of Nessebar, the peloton tackled a 147-kilometre route, mostly along the coastline, to reach Burgas and the first expected bunch sprint of the Giro. There was indeed a sprint, but only a handful of riders were able to contest it following a massive crash in the final kilometre. “It was a very unique sprint, especially with that narrowing of the road one kilometre from the finish,” explained William Green. “Unfortunately, our first error was taking the corner 3.6 kilometres further back than planned, which affected the rest of the sprint. Paul then entered the small road in the top 15. He was there, in position to contest the final, but on the second line.” The young Frenchman was then among the first riders to go down when the crash ahead of him completely blocked the road. “We could have hoped for a better start to this first stage, but we weren’t where we should have been at the key points,” added William. “Still, Paul was satisfied with the team’s commitment in the final because everyone was 100% involved. In the end, the crash almost motivated him. The work of his teammates gave him hope for the following sprints.”
“Josh is showing that he can really do something in this race” – William Green
Before the second expected bunch sprint on Sunday, the riders faced a tougher final on Saturday during a long 221-kilometre second stage towards Veliko Tarnovo. “The key point of the day was the final climb, located 15 kilometres from the finish,” William recalled. “Before that, we had rain in the middle of the day, making the roads extremely slippery, and a huge crash occurred in the peloton. Unfortunately, Rémi, Rémy and Brieuc were caught up in it. Brieuc and Rémy were supposed to contest the final, and their crash unfortunately disrupted our plans.”
One Groupama-FDJ United rider nevertheless emerged from the selective finale shaped by Jonas Vingegaard: Josh Kench. “He really showed what he is capable of,” underlined William. “He entered the climb far back, but he produced a really strong ascent and wasn’t too far behind the favourites at the top. He bridged back on his own and even had the opportunity to sprint at the finish.” Although he was unable to fight for the top places, the New Zealander secured 24th place in a very reduced front group. “He prepared really well for this Giro, with an altitude camp and the Tour de Romandie, and he’s showing that he can really do something in this race,” added William. “We’re very happy with what he’s showing, and we can hope for even more when he’s protected.”
On Sunday, to conclude the Bulgarian triptych, the peloton finally reached Sofia in a stage featuring a long nine-kilometre climb, though located far too far from the finish to have any real impact. As expected, the 175-kilometre stage ended in a sprint. “The final took place on a very wide, straight road, with no obstacles until the final 100 metres,” said William. “Everything was about timing. The goal was to stay patient, especially since we had fewer riders to support Paul after Saturday’s crash. Approaching the final two kilometres, we started moving up, then Cyril and Axel did an excellent job positioning Paul close to Milan’s wheel with around 500 metres to go. After that, it became a big fight to hold position, it was quite chaotic, and Paul maybe lacked a little aggressiveness. The final 100 metres on the cobbles also suited the more powerful sprinters slightly better.” In the final straight, Paul Penhoët was unable to move back up, eventually finishing the day in eleventh place. “It’s a bit frustrating for him, but the sprint field in this race is extremely strong and, once again, the team committed itself 100%, adapting the plan whenever necessary,” concluded William. “We need to keep trying, and Paul should find sprints that suit him better in the coming days.”
“Great stages await us” – William Green
After a quick transfer on Sunday evening, the peloton is enjoying a rest day this Monday before getting back on the road in Calabria tomorrow. “Overall, it was a great experience in Bulgaria, the organization did a great job and we received incredible support along the roads, especially yesterday,” William concluded. “Now we’re back in Italy, and things should go well! Stage 4 is particularly interesting, with a long climb where some sprinters could get dropped. That could suit Paul, but if it’s too hard, we have other options like Axel. Stage 5 looks like a first potential opportunity for the breakaway. Stage 6 should end in a sprint, and Stage 7 will mark the first real GC battle on Blockhaus. Great stages await us, and we have riders for each of them.”
