Here’s another strong result to add to an ever-increasing list of Alessandro Pinarello’s impressive performances so far in 2026. After a day at the Giro d’Italia that was raced in a way few saw coming, the 22-year-old sprinted to fifth in Cosenza on stage four.
Pinarello recorded his best-ever Grand Tour result to date after getting in the mix in the reduced bunch sprint in the Calabrian city, thanks to the help of teammate Jan Hirt, following a breathless day of racing as the Giro returned to its homeland.
While the presence of the second-category Cozzo Tunno climb shortly after the 138-kilometer stage’s midpoint was expected to be too much for the pure sprinters, the intense pace set by the Movistar Team whittled the peloton down to just over 40 riders.
“I feel good, I’m happy. I was in front with the best climbers,” says Pinarello, a recent stage winner at O Gran Camiño.
“We started with a plan, and Movistar basically changed the plans of every team. Our plan at the start of the day was for Corbin, but after [he got dropped], the team changed the plan.
“We arrived at the finish in a small group. The last 3km was full gas – like the climb!”
While this was Pinarello’s best result in any Grand Tour to date, he is over 1,000 kilometers from his birthplace, Conegliano. He has to wait until the final week to race on familiar terrain – most notably, the stage 18 finish in Pieve di Soligo is just 25 kilometers away from his home.
He adds: “For the moment, this result is OK, but we’re in the south. A good result in the North of Italy will feel different!
“I think I am improving. I did one week of rest at home before the Giro, and I’m now hoping to have my best condition in the next two-and-a-half weeks. I hope to do my best in the next stages.”