A promising start at the Giro d’Italia, where Ethan Vernon recorded his best-ever result in the race, sprinting to third place in Burgas after a crash-affected finale to stage one.
Already a four-time race winner in 2026, Ethan Vernon showed his speed in the fight for the line in the Bulgarian city, with only stage winner Paul Magnier (SOQ) and Tobias Lund Andresen (DCT) finishing ahead of him.
Following a calm and controlled opening 130 kilometers, the stage concluded with a predictably chaotic finale. A large crash with around 625 meters to go split the peloton, blocking the road behind, while Max Walscheid (LTK) attempted to surprise the bunch with a late attack in the final kilometer.
Despite the disruption, the team managed the situation well, and importantly, all riders avoided the crashes in a tense run-in to the finish.
Ethan Vernon said: “Yeah, it was messy. Walscheid came out of nowhere in the final kilometer, there were crashes, and guys were losing each other. You always have a plan, but in a sprint like this, it never really works.
“We did the best we could. Dion, Jake, all the guys did a great job adapting the plan on the spot. It wasn’t what we said beforehand, but they showed really good initiative on the road.
“I think we did the best we could. In the end, it was third. The sprint was okay — I just got jumped on the corner, but the speed was definitely there.”
Looking ahead, Sports Director Dimitri Claeys explained: “We wanted to start sharp in Bulgaria, and we were where we wanted to be in the final straight with Ethan.
“We still see points to improve in the sprint preparation, and we will keep working on the execution for the next sprints.
“The result makes us satisfied, but of course the goal is to take a stage win.”