Giro 2026: Kuss wins enthralling Queen Stage

fotobureau Cor VosGiulio Ciccone attaks from the breakaway on the penultimate climb, the Passo Falzarego. On the final climb, Sepp Kuss catches him, and the American rides solo to victory. Jonas Vingegaard retains the overall lead, while Felix Gall remains second and Jai Hindley moves up to third. (Slideshow route/profile)

Stage 19 Results – 2026 Giro d'Italia

1. Sepp Kuss (usa) 4:28:33
2. Derek Gee-West (can) + 0:13
3. Giulio Ciccone (ita) + 0:36
4. Felix Gall (aut) + 0:39
5. Jonas Vingegaard (den) s.t.
6. Jai Hindley (aus) + 0:43
7. Damiano Caruso (ita) + 1:06
8. Davide Piganzoli (ita) + 1:11
9. Einer Rubio (col) + 1:19
10. Michael Storer (aus) s.t.

12. Thymen Arensman (nld) + 1:45
15. Afonso Eulálio (por) + 2:25

GC after stage 19

1. Jonas Vingegaard (den)
2. Felix Gall (aut) + 4:03
3. Jai Hindley (aus) + 5:04
4. Thymen Arensman (nld) + 5:33
5. Derek Gee-West (can) + 6:31
6. Afonso Eulálio (por) + 7:26
7. Michael Storer (aus) + 7:50
8. Davide Piganzoli (ita) + 8:29
9. Damiano Caruso (ita) + 9:01
10. Egan Bernal (col) + 11:19

Race report

A lead group featuring Alberto Bettiol, Chris Harper, Giulio Ciccone, Jardi Christiaan van der Lee, Einer Rubio, Enric Mas, Sepp Kuss, Lorenzo Milesi, Wout Poels, Damiano Caruso, Jan Hirt, Johannes Kulset, Giulio Pellizzari, Ludovico Crescioli and Embret Svestad-Bårdsen forms on the first climb, Passo Duran. They crest the summit just under 1 minute ahead of the first chasers, with Michael Storer, Derek Gee, Mathys Rondel and David de la Cruz as best placed riders on GC. The peloton reaches the top 2 minutes behind the leaders.

On the climb to Coi, the first two groups come together, after which Rubio and Ciccone head out together. Just as on the Passo Duran, Giulio Ciccone wins the sprint for the mountain points, and he repeats the feat on the Forcella Staulanza. In the descent, Harper and Crescioli rejoin the two leaders.

Early on the Passo Giau, the four are joined by more chasers. Unsurprisingly, as the climb progresses, a number of riders are dropped, until only Caruso, Ciccone, Gee-West, Rubio, Svestad-Bårdseng, Hirt, Harper, Pellizzari, Kuss, Storer and Rondel remain.

From that group, Pellizzari breaks away with Ciccone and Rubio on his wheel. The Colombian is initially unable to match the pace, but when he sees Kuss coming past, he uses the American’s wheel to guide himself back towards the front group. Later, Gee-West, Storer, Caruso and Hirt also make it back, while Giulio Ciccone wins the Cima Coppi by cresting the climb first. With the 50 mountain points he collects, the Italian takes the King of the Mountains jersey from Jonas Vingegaard.

At the foot of the Passo Falzarego, the breakaway reaches a lead of 3 minutes, meaning that Gee-West is virtually on the podium. Moreover, he wins 6 bonus seconds in the sprint halfway up the climb.

Rubio beats Ciccone to the summit of the Falzarego in the sprint for mountain points. The KOM leader then continues alone on the descent and he carves out a 1-minute lead. That is also the margin with which he starts the final climb. The group of favourites is 1 minute further back.

Kuss and Pellizzari open the chase of Giulio Ciccone from the foot of the final climb. Gee-West manages to latch on, but when the American accelerates again, he is left alone. Kuss catches the new King of the Mountains with 2.2 kilometres to go and rides straight past him.

Further down the mountain, Felix Gall accelerates and only Jonas Vingegaard and Jai Hindley are able to follow. The latter is dropped a little later by the two strongest climbers of this Giro, but Pellizzari waits for him to pace his teammate.

Kuss meanwhile solos to victory, while Gee-West crosses the line 13 seconds later in second place. Gall and Vingegaard finish together, with Hindley following just 4 seconds behind. Arensman crosses the line more than a minute behind the Australian and the two swap place - Hindle third, Arensman fourth, while Gee-West now sits rougly 1 minute behind the Dutchman in fifth place.

Another interesting read: route 19th stage 2026 Giro d'Italia.