Movistar changes the course of the Giro: sprinters out, Narváez claims the stage. Movistar dramatically shifted the pace of the Giro, splitting the peloton and eliminating the sprinters from contention. Narváez secured the stage win, while Aular came close to victory. Bernal found himself under pressure on a challenging section.
In Cosenza, the fourth stage of the 2026 Giro d’Italia was dictated by Movistar: the team from Navarre set a pace that completely changed the course of the race. Already on the Cozzo Tunno climb, Movistar took the initiative, reducing the peloton to 40 riders and eliminating most of the sprinters from contention, including Groenewegen, Milan, and Vernon. This move not only deprived the stage of its usual outcome, but also put the positions of several favorites at risk.
Among those who could not keep up with the pace was Egan Bernal. The Colombian began to lose contact with the group a kilometer before the summit, continuing the issues that first appeared on the Bulgarian stage. He was only able to recover thanks to technical problems among his rivals, but by the finish, Movistar had already lost two of their best climbers—Javi Romo and Juanpe López—which affected the finale.
Battle for bonuses and the final sprint
Before the decisive section of the stage, a fight unfolded for bonus seconds, where Visma tried to bring Vingegaard to the front, but on the flat section he lost out to Ciccone, Pellizzari, and Christen. At that moment, tension in the group peaked: Christen, who had already been at the center of controversy this season, drew attention again, but this time failed to seize his chance.
In the final kilometers, Enric Mas was the sole helper left for Orluis Aular in the Movistar lineup. His attack on the bridge over the Crati set the stage for an attack, but it was not enough for a victory. Lidl-Trek joined the battle for the leader’s jersey, and Aular, finding himself at the front, launched his sprint too early. Narváez, known as “Jhony” in the peloton, easily overtook Ciccone and the Venezuelan, delivering victory to UAE and dedicating it to teammates who had been forced out by crashes.
Losses and changes in the peloton
The stage in Cosenza proved to be a real test for many teams. UAE lost three riders at once — Adam Yates, Marc Soler, and Jay Vine — after crashes in Bulgaria, but the remaining members managed to regroup and change their mindset as they moved into Italy. The wind, the traditional Calabrian peppers, and jokes at the start quickly gave way to fierce competition on the course. Race leader Thomas Silva could not keep up with the pace and also dropped out of the group, while De Lie from Lotto was forced to abandon due to the aftereffects of food poisoning.
In this context, Movistar's actions were decisive: the team not only set the pace, but also demonstrated it could control the stage without support from other squads. As noted by russpain.com, such tactical reshuffles have repeatedly led to unexpected outcomes, much like in LaLiga matches where key points are decided in the final minutes — more on this can be found in the material about the clash between Athletic Club and Valencia at San Mamés.
Context and details of the stage
The peloton started out from Catanzaro, where the riders were welcomed with traditional Calabrian peppers — the region's symbol. Wind and challenging terrain made the stage unpredictable. Six riders broke away, but the efforts of Lorenzo Milesi and Iván García Cortina allowed Movistar to quickly neutralize the attempt. At the finish Jan Christen could have put on the leader's jersey if he had outsprinted Ciccone, but was left without a reward. Narváez's victory was symbolic for UAE, while Movistar showed it is ready for the continued fight to control the race.
