Alessandro Fancellu strikes like lightning in Casalincontrada

Stage 1 of Il Giro d’Abruzzo 2026 gets off to the perfect start for Alessandro Fancellu and MBH Bank CSB Telecom Fort. The Como-born rider confirmed his excellent form after a string of strong results in recent races, taking victory on the opening stage of this 2026 edition, the 155 km from Cupello to Casalincontrada, thanks to a perfectly timed attack on the steep ramps of the final climb. With this victory, Fancellu also pulls on the Maglia BiancoVerdeBlu as leader of the general classification.

The racing was intense from the opening kilometres. Shortly after the official start at kilometre zero, four riders went clear: Filippo D’Aiuto (General Store – Essegibi – F.lli Curia), Marco Palomba (S.C. Padovani Polo Cherry Bank), Kasper Andersen (Swatt Club) and Emanuele Ansaloni (Team Technipes #inEmiliaRomagna Caffè Borbone). The four leaders worked well together as far as the intermediate sprint in Montelapiano. From there, D’Aiuto and Palomba were left alone at the front, cresting the Colle dei Ferrari KOM in that order.

On the descent, as the race passed through Torricella Peligna, the peloton split into several groups on a number of occasions, but Netcompany-Ineos and Tudor Pro Cycling were determined not to let the opportunity slip away and kept the pace high at the front.

Shortly before the finale, Netcompany-Ineos had a scare as Kévin Vauquelin hit the deck. The Frenchman was quickly back on his bike and managed to rejoin the peloton in time for the tough final climb to Casalincontrada.

With 1.3 km to go, the adventure of D’Aiuto and Ansaloni finally came to an end, the pair forced to surrender to the blistering pace of the peloton. A flurry of attacks and counterattacks followed, before Alessandro Fancellu emerged at exactly the right moment. The MBH Bank CSB Telecom Fort rider secured the first leader’s jersey of the race with a devastating acceleration around 300 metres from the line that none of his rivals could match. A superb victory for the 26-year-old, his second win of the season.