The Real Giro 2026 Afternoon

[team fl]

Well, it was not Pyry, he finished third. It was a Domingo again, Gonzales this time, to win a stage at the Giro, stage 10, the only ITT this year, in front of his team mate Raul Valero, both from Equip Ciclista Poblenou. Fourth and the new leader in the GC, the guy in Rosa, is Jamshid Abdurashitov form SouthWest Packers, not very surprisingly. The former wearer of Rosa, Moreno Ottema, finished fifth, but more than 2 minutes behind Abdurashitov. A huge leap in GC has been made by Gabriel Lafuente (Big Donkey), now sitting at place 3 more than 1 min ahead of place 4 after finishing 8th today. Then it gets tight. Between place 4 (Uros Urbanek from L RSV) and place 16 (Magnus Jensen from Falcor) are only 82 seconds. In the youth classement Dong Thong (RC Cost) overtook Finn Bennett (Confidential Era) for place 3, while Burger still rides in white in front of Alborghetti, but with a closer gap after the ITT. Let's see who will be fit for tomorrow, 195 km of hills. Will it be a group again for the stage win? And how will SWP control for Rosa? Until we find out, here are the stats:

General classement:
01. 00:00:00 Jamshid Abdurashitov (SouthWest Packers)
02. 00:01:14 Moreno Ottema (Romoc Riders)
03. 00:04:06 Gabriel Lafuente (Big Donkey)
04. 00:05:19 Uros Urbanek (L RSV)
05. 00:05:28 Talvi Kairi (VC Team Multi)
06. 00:05:33 Salvatore Meeus (Flandrien Pro Cycling)
07. 00:05:45 Arjen Burger (CreditPommes)
08. 00:05:52 Pablo Gallego (Big Donkey)
09. 00:06:00 Michael Redrocks(Falcor)
10. 00:06:07 Tilen Trkman (L RSV)

Points classement:
01. 153 - Artem Palamarchuck (Tukhtahuaev)
02. 135 - Vincent Verwimp (Team FL)
03. 075 - Fabiano Frizzante (L RSV)

Mountain classement:
01. 121 - Domingo Cruz (Falcor)
02. 066 - Oleksandr Piskun (Tukhtahuaev)
03. 039 - Kenneth Verbeke (Flandrien Pro Cycling)

Youth classement:
01. 00:05:45 Arjen Burger (CreditPommes)
02. 00:06:11 Graziano Alborghetti (Tukhtahuaev)
03. 00:07:23 Dong Thong (RC Cost)

Team classement:
01. 00:00:00 L RSV
02. 00:02:10 SouthWest Packers
03. 00:05:39 Falcor

Stage wins by riders:
2 - Domingo Cruz (Falcor)
2 - Artem Palamarchuck (Tukhtahuaev)
2 - Vincent Verwimp (Team FL)
1 - Carlo Chambaere (Romoc Riders)
1 - Domingo Gonzales (Equip Ciclista Poblenou)
1 - Magnus Jensen (Falcor)
1 - Robin Jonckheere (Flandrien Pro Cycling)

Stage wins by teams:
3 - Falcor
2 - Team FL
2 - Tukhtahuaev
1 - Equip Ciclista Poblenou
1 - Flandrien Pro Cycling
1 - Romoc Riders

Days in Rosa:
5 - Magnus Jensen (Falcor)
1 - Jashid Abdurashitov (SouthWest Packers)
1 - Moreno Ottema (Romoc Riders)
1 - Michael Redrocks (Falcor
1 - Xavi Rodriguez (Confidental Era)
1 - Vincent Verwimp (Team FL)

Most combative rider:
1 - Zane Claessens (Flandrien Pro Cycling)
1 - Magnus Fjellvik (Flandrien Pro Cycling)
1 - Shohrat Dawamat (Tukhtahuaev)
1 - Luat Meo (RC Cost)
1 - Kodai Naraoka (Equip Ciclista Poblenou)
1 - Oleksandr Piskun (Tukhtahuaev)
1 - Kensi Taiwia (Tukhtahuaev)
1 - Tapio Tamikkonen (L RSV)
1 - Kenneth Verbeke (Flandrien Pro Cycling)
1 - Stage 10 tbd

Days with the Red Lantern:
7 - Mick Rory (Falcor)
2 - Cesare Baddetti (Falcor)
1 - Pyry Pitkäaikainen (L RSV)

[Tukhtahuaev]

Good TT for Alborghetti all things considered, but without another mountain training it still seems almost impossible to beat Burger for white. Maybe a small chance to do something today, but profile does not seem difficult enough

[team fl]

Stage 11, we have a new winner! NOT! But we have a new hero: Alvaro Guerra (Equip Ciclista Poblenou). After being isolated in the back of everybody, he managed to stay in time, riding alone for around 100 km. Unfortunately he won't be fit for today's bunch sprint... Anway, were was I? Yes, stage 11, same old same old. While Tukhtahuaev was the frist cereal of this year's Afternoon Giro, Falcor is on the way to become it's permanent cereal. While SouthWest Packers (for GC) and Tukhtahauev (for Dosmagambetov controlled most of the stage, it was Magnus Jensen who crossed the finish line first. It wasn't that hard to get that classics sprint though, as L RSV was the only team in an early escape. In the end, the climbers made it a bit more interesting, but Confidential Era missed again to fully invest in keeping the classics group away. And so, it was an opus magnum(/s) from Falcor again. BUT: Rory lost his red lantern ro Liberiu (L RSV)! Besidest that, not much changed, but Jensen got closer to the Maglia Ciclamino, which will be important on stage 12, when it's again flat but not flat. Palmarchuk again? Or a lucky sprinter in a full bunch sprint? Or something completely different? (like another Falcor win). Until we know that, we know the current stats at least:

General classement:
01. 00:00:00 Jamshid Abdurashitov (SouthWest Packers)
02. 00:01:14 Moreno Ottema (Romoc Riders)
03. 00:04:06 Gabriel Lafuente (Big Donkey)
04. 00:05:19 Uros Urbanek (L RSV)
05. 00:05:28 Talvi Kairi (VC Team Multi)
06. 00:05:33 Salvatore Meeus (Flandrien Pro Cycling)
07. 00:05:45 Arjen Burger (CreditPommes)
08. 00:05:52 Pablo Gallego (Big Donkey)
09. 00:06:00 Michael Redrocks(Falcor)
10. 00:06:07 Tilen Trkman (L RSV)

Points classement:
01. 153 - Artem Palamarchuck (Tukhtahuaev)
02. 135 - Vincent Verwimp (Team FL)
03. 094 - Magnus Jensen (Falcor)

Mountain classement:
01. 121 - Domingo Cruz (Falcor)
02. 066 - Oleksandr Piskun (Tukhtahuaev)
03. 041 - Kenneth Verbeke (Flandrien Pro Cycling)

Youth classement:
01. 00:05:45 Arjen Burger (CreditPommes)
02. 00:06:11 Graziano Alborghetti (Tukhtahuaev)
03. 00:07:23 Dong Thong (RC Cost)

Team classement:
01. 00:00:00 L RSV
02. 00:02:10 SouthWest Packers
03. 00:05:39 Falcor

Stage wins by riders:
2 - Domingo Cruz (Falcor)
2 - Magnus Jensen (Falcor)
2 - Artem Palamarchuck (Tukhtahuaev)
2 - Vincent Verwimp (Team FL)
1 - Carlo Chambaere (Romoc Riders)
1 - Domingo Gonzales (Equip Ciclista Poblenou)
1 - Robin Jonckheere (Flandrien Pro Cycling)

Stage wins by teams:
4 - Falcor
2 - Team FL
2 - Tukhtahuaev
1 - Equip Ciclista Poblenou
1 - Flandrien Pro Cycling
1 - Romoc Riders

Days in Rosa:
5 - Magnus Jensen (Falcor)
2 - Jashid Abdurashitov (SouthWest Packers)
1 - Moreno Ottema (Romoc Riders)
1 - Michael Redrocks (Falcor
1 - Xavi Rodriguez (Confidental Era)
1 - Vincent Verwimp (Team FL)

Most combative rider:
1 - Zane Claessens (Flandrien Pro Cycling)
1 - Magnus Fjellvik (Flandrien Pro Cycling)
1 - Shohrat Dawamat (Tukhtahuaev)
1 - Luat Meo (RC Cost)
1 - Kodai Naraoka (Equip Ciclista Poblenou)
1 - Oleksandr Piskun (Tukhtahuaev)
1 - Kensi Taiwia (Tukhtahuaev)
1 - Tapio Tamikkonen (L RSV)
1 - Kenneth Verbeke (Flandrien Pro Cycling)
1 - Pyry Pitkäaikainen (L RSV)
1 - Miikka Muurinen (L RSV)

Days with the Red Lantern:
7 - Mick Rory (Falcor)
2 - Cesare Baddetti (Falcor)
1 - Dacian Liberiu (L RSV)
1 - Pyry Pitkäaikainen (L RSV)

[team fl]

hardly any time to do much of a report for stage 12: but it's a short story anyway. Flandrien Pro Cycling showed again that its one of the most active teams in this year's Afternoon Giro and attacked with three riders at the start of the stage. As nobody else attacked, he chose a cosy way of riding and rolled most of the first half of the race. In the back, it was Tukhtahuaev who started the control and used the climb in the second half of the stage to reduce the peloton. In the end, Palamarchuk was the only sprinter left in the main group, with Big Donkey, L RSV and Team FL chasing for Bongiorno, Frizzante and Verwimp. Eventually, the early group was caught and Tukhtahuaev managed to keep the other sprinters away easily, winning his 3rd stage. He has a comfortable lead in the points classement now. The other classements didn't change, as you can see here:

General classement:
01. 00:00:00 Jamshid Abdurashitov (SouthWest Packers)
02. 00:01:14 Moreno Ottema (Romoc Riders)
03. 00:04:06 Gabriel Lafuente (Big Donkey)
04. 00:05:19 Uros Urbanek (L RSV)
05. 00:05:28 Talvi Kairi (VC Team Multi)
06. 00:05:33 Salvatore Meeus (Flandrien Pro Cycling)
07. 00:05:45 Arjen Burger (CreditPommes)
08. 00:05:52 Pablo Gallego (Big Donkey)
09. 00:06:00 Michael Redrocks(Falcor)
10. 00:06:07 Tilen Trkman (L RSV)

Points classement:
01. 203 - Artem Palamarchuck (Tukhtahuaev)
02. 135 - Vincent Verwimp (Team FL)
03. 106 - Magnus Jensen (Falcor)

Mountain classement:
01. 121 - Domingo Cruz (Falcor)
02. 066 - Oleksandr Piskun (Tukhtahuaev)
03. 054 - Kenneth Verbeke (Flandrien Pro Cycling)

Youth classement:
01. 00:05:45 Arjen Burger (CreditPommes)
02. 00:06:11 Graziano Alborghetti (Tukhtahuaev)
03. 00:07:23 Dong Thong (RC Cost)

Team classement:
01. 00:00:00 L RSV
02. 00:02:10 SouthWest Packers
03. 00:05:39 Falcor

Stage wins by riders:
3 - Artem Palamarchuck (Tukhtahuaev)
2 - Domingo Cruz (Falcor)
2 - Magnus Jensen (Falcor)
2 - Vincent Verwimp (Team FL)
1 - Carlo Chambaere (Romoc Riders)
1 - Domingo Gonzales (Equip Ciclista Poblenou)
1 - Robin Jonckheere (Flandrien Pro Cycling)

Stage wins by teams:
4 - Falcor
3 - Tukhtahuaev
2 - Team FL
1 - Equip Ciclista Poblenou
1 - Flandrien Pro Cycling
1 - Romoc Riders

Days in Rosa:
5 - Magnus Jensen (Falcor)
3 - Jashid Abdurashitov (SouthWest Packers)
1 - Moreno Ottema (Romoc Riders)
1 - Michael Redrocks (Falcor
1 - Xavi Rodriguez (Confidental Era)
1 - Vincent Verwimp (Team FL)

Most combative rider:
2 - Zane Claessens (Flandrien Pro Cycling)
1 - Magnus Fjellvik (Flandrien Pro Cycling)
1 - Shohrat Dawamat (Tukhtahuaev)
1 - Luat Meo (RC Cost)
1 - Kodai Naraoka (Equip Ciclista Poblenou)
1 - Oleksandr Piskun (Tukhtahuaev)
1 - Kensi Taiwia (Tukhtahuaev)
1 - Tapio Tamikkonen (L RSV)
1 - Kenneth Verbeke (Flandrien Pro Cycling)
1 - Pyry Pitkäaikainen (L RSV)
1 - Miikka Muurinen (L RSV)

Days with the Red Lantern:
7 - Mick Rory (Falcor)
2 - Cesare Baddetti (Falcor)
2 - Dacian Liberiu (L RSV)
1 - Pyry Pitkäaikainen (L RSV)

[team fl]

Piling up stages like nothing. Stage 13 already! And we have a new winner. Simon Mølgaard (VC Team Multi) won the sprint of the classics in front of Manfred Matt (Team FL) and Magnus Jensen (Falcor), after 189 km of mostly flat terrain with a steep hill around 15 km before the finish line. The set up was the following: Three teams escaped: L RSV, Team FL and Tukhtahuaev. In the peloton, they were thightly controlled by Falcor, !!! ROMOC RIDERS !!! and SouthWest Packers. All escapers were caught at the top of the last hill eventually. Now the main groups were seperated in climbers and classics, the latter chasing the former. But Again, Confidential Era refused to join in in front and so the classics group easily caught up. The rest we know already. And if you read any further, you will also know the statistics after stage 13.

General classement:
01. 00:00:00 Jamshid Abdurashitov (SouthWest Packers)
02. 00:01:14 Moreno Ottema (Romoc Riders)
03. 00:04:06 Gabriel Lafuente (Big Donkey)
04. 00:05:19 Uros Urbanek (L RSV)
05. 00:05:28 Talvi Kairi (VC Team Multi)
06. 00:05:33 Salvatore Meeus (Flandrien Pro Cycling)
07. 00:05:45 Arjen Burger (CreditPommes)
08. 00:05:52 Pablo Gallego (Big Donkey)
09. 00:06:00 Michael Redrocks(Falcor)
10. 00:06:07 Tilen Trkman (L RSV)

Points classement:
01. 203 - Artem Palamarchuck (Tukhtahuaev)
02. 135 - Vincent Verwimp (Team FL)
03. 118 - Magnus Jensen (Falcor)

Mountain classement:
01. 121 - Domingo Cruz (Falcor)
02. 066 - Oleksandr Piskun (Tukhtahuaev)
03. 054 - Kenneth Verbeke (Flandrien Pro Cycling)

Youth classement:
01. 00:05:45 Arjen Burger (CreditPommes)
02. 00:06:11 Graziano Alborghetti (Tukhtahuaev)
03. 00:07:23 Dong Thong (RC Cost)

Team classement:
01. 00:00:00 L RSV
02. 00:02:10 SouthWest Packers
03. 00:05:39 Falcor

Stage wins by riders:
3 - Artem Palamarchuck (Tukhtahuaev)
2 - Domingo Cruz (Falcor)
2 - Magnus Jensen (Falcor)
2 - Vincent Verwimp (Team FL)
1 - Carlo Chambaere (Romoc Riders)
1 - Domingo Gonzales (Equip Ciclista Poblenou)
1 - Robin Jonckheere (Flandrien Pro Cycling)
1 - Simon Molgaard (VC Team Multi)

Stage wins by teams:
4 - Falcor
3 - Tukhtahuaev
2 - Team FL
1 - Equip Ciclista Poblenou
1 - Flandrien Pro Cycling
1 - Romoc Riders
1 - VC Team Multi

Days in Rosa:
5 - Magnus Jensen (Falcor)
4 - Jashid Abdurashitov (SouthWest Packers)
1 - Moreno Ottema (Romoc Riders)
1 - Michael Redrocks (Falcor
1 - Xavi Rodriguez (Confidental Era)
1 - Vincent Verwimp (Team FL)

Most combative rider:
2 - Zane Claessens (Flandrien Pro Cycling)
2 - Pyry Pitkäaikainen (L RSV)
1 - Magnus Fjellvik (Flandrien Pro Cycling)
1 - Shohrat Dawamat (Tukhtahuaev)
1 - Luat Meo (RC Cost)
1 - Kodai Naraoka (Equip Ciclista Poblenou)
1 - Oleksandr Piskun (Tukhtahuaev)
1 - Kensi Taiwia (Tukhtahuaev)
1 - Tapio Tamikkonen (L RSV)
1 - Kenneth Verbeke (Flandrien Pro Cycling)
1 - Miikka Muurinen (L RSV)

Days with the Red Lantern:
7 - Mick Rory (Falcor)
3 - Dacian Liberiu (L RSV)
2 - Cesare Baddetti (Falcor)
1 - Pyry Pitkäaikainen (L RSV)

[team fl]

no time yesterday for the stage report, so stage 14 and 15 together:

Stage 14 was probably the most mountain stage so far. up and down from the beginning. Which also meant Gruppetto work from the beginning. Unfortuantely, Raul Valero (Equip Ciclista Poblenou) was the first victim of this Giro, not making it in time after being left alone for too long. All other riders made it in time due to great Gruppetto cooperation. While these riders' goal was to stay in the race, in the front, the riders tried to fight for the stage win and time in the GC. While SWP controlled most of the first part of the race for Rosa, Confidential Era took over for Xavi Rodriguez later on. Goal was to catch the front group with many dangerous classics and possible satellite riders for their leaders. In the end, Confidential Era and SWP had everything under control and Xavi Rodriguez celebrated his first stage win in front of Tilen Trkman (L RSV) and Salvatore Meeus (Flandrien Pro Cycling). GC leader and man in Rosa finished right behind them together with his team mate Iwan Bondarew. Second in GC is still Moreno Ottema (Romoc Riders) with Gabriel Lafuente (Big Donkey) lurking as last rider on the podium currently.

Stage 15 was one of the few flat sprint stages and all the sprint teams used that opportunity to ride for a bunch sprint. All sprint teams? Well, not all, as some teams rather took the chances to send some riders in the early escape, or even tried a late attack. But long story short: it was a bunch sprint eventually, with Palamarchuk proving again that he's the strongest sprinter in the Afternoon Giro 2026 (and better gambler for directions today). Verwimp got second being pulled be his Team FL train, and Fabiano Frizzante coming in third. Looks like the Maglia Ciclamino is safe for Palamarchuk now, but there is still one sprint left on the last day. For now, all riders may enjoy the rest day and then there will be a lot more Gruppetto work I think. But now, let's have a look at the standings after week 2:

General classement:
01. 00:00:00 Jamshid Abdurashitov (SouthWest Packers)
02. 00:03:20 Moreno Ottema (Romoc Riders)
03. 00:04:27 Gabriel Lafuente (Big Donkey)
04. 00:05:21 Salvatore Meeus (Flandrien Pro Cycling)
05. 00:05:33 Uros Urbanek (L RSV)
06. 00:05:47 Arjen Burger (CreditPommes)
07. 00:05:53 Tilen Trkman (L RSV)
08. 00:06:01 Xavi Rodriguez (Confidential Era)
09. 00:06:12 Michael Redrocks(Falcor)
10. 00:06:13 Graziano Alborghetti (Tukhtahuaev)

Points classement:
01. 253 - Artem Palamarchuck (Tukhtahuaev)
02. 170 - Vincent Verwimp (Team FL)
03. 118 - Magnus Jensen (Falcor)

Mountain classement:
01. 189 - Domingo Cruz (Falcor)
02. 098 - Oleksandr Piskun (Tukhtahuaev)
03. 098 - Kenneth Verbeke (Flandrien Pro Cycling)

Youth classement:
01. 00:05:47 Arjen Burger (CreditPommes)
02. 00:06:13 Graziano Alborghetti (Tukhtahuaev)
03. 00:07:47 Finn Bennett (Confidential Era)

Team classement:
01. 00:00:00 L RSV
02. 00:03:16 SouthWest Packers
03. 00:06:10 Falcor

Stage wins by riders:
4 - Artem Palamarchuck (Tukhtahuaev)
2 - Domingo Cruz (Falcor)
2 - Magnus Jensen (Falcor)
2 - Vincent Verwimp (Team FL)
1 - Carlo Chambaere (Romoc Riders)
1 - Domingo Gonzales (Equip Ciclista Poblenou)
1 - Robin Jonckheere (Flandrien Pro Cycling)
1 - Simon Molgaard (VC Team Multi)
1 - Xavi Rodriguez (Confidential Era)

Stage wins by teams:
4 - Falcor
4 - Tukhtahuaev
2 - Team FL
1 - Confidential Era
1 - Equip Ciclista Poblenou
1 - Flandrien Pro Cycling
1 - Romoc Riders
1 - VC Team Multi

Days in Rosa:
5 - Magnus Jensen (Falcor)
6 - Jashid Abdurashitov (SouthWest Packers)
1 - Moreno Ottema (Romoc Riders)
1 - Michael Redrocks (Falcor
1 - Xavi Rodriguez (Confidental Era)
1 - Vincent Verwimp (Team FL)

Most combative rider:
2 - Zane Claessens (Flandrien Pro Cycling)
2 - Pyry Pitkäaikainen (L RSV)
1 - Magnus Fjellvik (Flandrien Pro Cycling)
1 - Shohrat Dawamat (Tukhtahuaev)
1 - Luat Meo (RC Cost)
1 - Kodai Naraoka (Equip Ciclista Poblenou)
1 - Oleksandr Piskun (Tukhtahuaev)
1 - Kensi Taiwia (Tukhtahuaev)
1 - Tapio Tamikkonen (L RSV)
1 - Kenneth Verbeke (Flandrien Pro Cycling)
1 - Miikka Muurinen (L RSV)
1 - Cesare Baddetti (Falcor)
1 - stage 15 tbd

Days with the Red Lantern:
7 - Mick Rory (Falcor)
5 - Dacian Liberiu (L RSV)
2 - Cesare Baddetti (Falcor)
1 - Pyry Pitkäaikainen (L RSV)

[Tukhtahuaev]

Quite happy with how this is going so far. 4 stage wins and almost secured Ciclamino already. 1 more stage or a surprise comeback for white and this is fully on target.
Also happy that the final stage will most likely be a sprint for the win instead of an annoying stage trying to ride against Verwimp