After three rather frustrating days, Netcompany Ineos made amends in style on the final stage of Il Giro d’Abruzzo 2026. On the 182 km Silvi–Controguerra stage, pre-race favourite Kévin Vauquelin delivered when it mattered most, making his move at the right moment, joining the decisive attack and then outsprinting fellow Frenchman Mathys Rondel (Tudor) and Nicola Conci (XDS Astana).
Thanks to the bonus seconds, Vauquelin also secured the overall victory, becoming the first French rider ever to win the Abruzzo stage race. Joining him on the final podium were Rondel and Alessandro Fancellu (MBH Bank CSB Telecom Fort), who was unable to defend the Maglia BiancoVerdeBlu against the attacks of his rivals.
The decisive move on the Colonnella climb
The final breakaway of Il Giro d’Abruzzo 2026 formed shortly after 15 km of racing, with Joshua Golliker (EF Education-EasyPost), Andrii Ponomar (General Store-Essegibi-F.lli Curia), Ben Morin (NSN Development), Lorenzo Ginestra (Swatt Club) and Andrea Pietrobon (Polti VisitMalta) hoping for a repeat of D’Aiuto’s success yesterday.
Despite building a maximum advantage of 4’25”, this time the peloton did not play with fire and entered the decisive phase of the race already within striking distance of the leaders. As expected, the race exploded on the final circuit, which had to be tackled twice and featured the Colonnella climb and the ramp up towards the finish.
Tudor and XDS Astana set a ferocious pace from the opening slopes, blowing the race apart with around 40 km to go and immediately isolating race leader Fancellu. Lennart Jasch (Tudor) and Diego Ulissi (XDS Astana) both tried their luck, but the decisive move came on the final steep ramp towards Colonnella, when Nicola Conci changed pace and took Mathys Rondel and Kévin Vauquelin with him. Fancellu tried to respond but was eventually forced to concede.
The three leaders quickly showed they were on another level and, on the flat section leading towards the final climbs, stretched their advantage over a chasing group of around 30 riders to more than a minute. The general classification was at stake as well as the stage victory, with Rondel 10” behind Fancellu, Vauquelin at 12” and Conci at 16”. The Italian attacked again on the steep slopes of Colonnella, but his rivals responded and the trio headed towards a sprint finish.
On the climb towards Controguerra, the three leaders began watching one another and almost came to a standstill, allowing the chasers to slash the gap to just 15”. Rondel launched his sprint from distance with 300 metres to go, but Vauquelin was alert, jumped onto his wheel and powered past him to claim his first victory of the season — one that was worth twice as much.
