UAE Team Emirates-XRG head into the second rest day of the 2026 Giro d’Italia with plenty to reflect on after another week of animated, aggressive racing. A stage win, a spell in the points jersey, and strong performances across the board from a squad that continues to make its presence felt on the Italian roads.
The week opened with a 42KM time trial, and the home crowd had one rider on their minds. Filippo Ganna was imperious, settling into his rhythm from the off and crossing the line in 45:53” to take the stage in front of a passionate Italian crowd. Mikkel Bjerg gave everything for UAE Team Emirates-XRG, finishing a creditable 8th, just 2:33” down on the Italian champion, a fine ride from the Dane against one of the world’s best.
Stage 11 provided the week’s standout moment. After more than 100 kilometres of careful, cagey racing, the peloton finally broke open with 84KM to go. Jhonatan Narvaez launched himself to the front of the race and a tactical battle with Spaniard Enric Mas quickly developed. The pair sparred on the final descent of the day before coming back together, but Narvaez was the stronger when it mattered, producing a fast, decisive finish to claim his third stage win of the race. A hat-trick at the Giro, and another reminder of just how dangerous the Ecuadorian national champion is when racing opens up.
Stage 12 looked set to be a day for the sprinters but racing rarely follows the script at this Giro. A chaotic finish saw the main favourites for the stage dropped before the line, with Alec Segaert emerging from the disorder to take the win. Stage 13 returned to more familiar territory, a flat day before a short, sharp climb fed into a technical descent to the finish. Bjerg was once again active in the breakaway, putting in another extraordinary effort to cross the line in 7th.
The climbing began almost immediately on Stage 14, with the peloton strung out from the very first kilometres. Narvaez was once again in the mix early, targeting intermediate sprint points as part of his bid for the Maglia Ciclamino, while behind, Visma Lease-a-Bike were setting a relentless pace in support of Vingegaard. The Dane eventually went solo, riding clear to a commanding stage win and pulling on the Maglia Rosa. Narvaez, meanwhile, had done enough across the day to take the purple jersey himself, a reward for his tireless racing and three stage wins.
Stage 15 proved to be one of the most eventful days of the week. The second fastest stage in Giro history was always likely to favour the pure sprinters, but this year’s Giro had other ideas. Paul Magnier edged Narvaez at the intermediate sprint to reclaim the Maglia Ciclamino, a points battle that is shaping up to be a defining storyline in the final week. And in another twist, the sprinters were denied at the line as a four-man breakaway held firm, with Fredrik Dversnes of Uno-X Mobility crossing first to take a dramatic stage victory.
Looking ahead, the race heads into its final week with the hardest climbing still to come. Stages 16, 19, and 20 will be pivotal in the general classification battle, while Stages 17 and 18 offer Narvaez a platform to mount his challenge to reclaim the points jersey. UAE Team Emirates-XRG have been a constant presence at the front of this race, and there is every reason to expect that to continue all the way to Rome.