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Bicycle Racing News and Opinion,

Friday, May 15, 2026

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Never believe anything in politics until it has been officially denied. - Otto von Bismarck

Roman philosopher Seneca’s Letter to his Friend Lucilius and an Essay Addressed to Emperor Nero is available in both audiobook and Kindle eBook versions. To get your copy, just click on the Amazon link on the right.

Current racing

• May 8 - 31: Giro d'Italia

Upcoming racing:

• May 16: Tour du Finistère
• May 17: Rund um Köln

Latest completed racing:

• May 10: Tro-Bro Léon
• April 26 - May 3: Tour of Turkey
• April 28 - May 3: Tour de Romandie
• May 1: Eschborn-Frankfurt
• April 26: Giro dell'Appennino
• April 23 - 26: Vuelta Asturias
• April 26: Liège-Bastogne-Liège
• April 20 - 24: Tour of the Alps
• April 22: La Flèche Wallonne
• April 19: Amstel Gold Race
• April 15 - 19: Tour of Hainan
• April 14 - 18: O Gran Camiño
• April 17: De Brabantse Pijl
• April 19: Tour du Doubs race cancelled
• April 12: Paris-Roubaix
• April 6 - 11: Itzulia Basque Country (Tour of the Basque Country)
• April 7 - 10: Région Pays de la Loire Tour

We posted the report from third-place Paul Magnier's Team Soudal Quick-Step with the results.

Here's the report from stage winner Davide Ballerini's Team XDS Astana:

XDS Astana Team rider Davide Ballerini claimed victory on the streets of Naples, where Stage 6 of the Giro d’Italia finished. Ballerini entered the final corner in a strong position and launched his sprint with 250 meters to go, holding on to the lead all the way to the finish line.

In the final corner, on rain-slick cobblestones, a crash occurred to Ballerini’s left, involving XDS Astana Team sprinter Matteo Malucelli. Fortunately, no serious injuries were reported.

Stage winner Davide Ballerini. Sirotti photo

“Victory comes when you least expect it. Today, our plan was to help Matteo Malucelli fight for the sprint win. The whole team worked for that, but in the end everything turned out differently. Entering the final corner, the riders to my left crashed, while I managed to pass on the inside line. Then I heard on the radio: ‘Go, go!’ – I think it was Matteo, who, as it turned out, was also involved in the crash. So after exiting the corner, I launched my sprint, giving 100% and hoping I could stay ahead until the finish. Everything worked out, and it’s something incredible! Every year, coming to the Giro d’Italia, I hoped to fight for a stage victory – it has always been my goal. And this time it finally happened, even if in such an unexpected way.

We have started this Giro really well. The whole team is motivated, the atmosphere is fantastic, everyone is working together toward the same goal and supporting each other. So first of all, I want to thank my teammates, both for today’s stage and for the first week of the Giro, which we are riding at a very high level. I also want to say a huge thank you to everyone who supported and continues to support me, especially my family and my girlfriend. Today is simply an amazing day”, – said Davide Ballerini.

For XDS Astana Team this is already the team’s second stage victory at this year’s Giro – earlier Thomas Silva won Stage 2 and wore the pink jersey for two days.

After six stages, Christian Scaroni sits in 3rd place in the General Classification, while XDS Astana Team leads the team classification.

Here's the Giro report from Team Bardiani-CSF 7 Saber:

Bardiani-CSF 7 Saber continues to be a protagonist on the roads of the Giro d’Italia and once again made its mark in the sixth stage, the 141 km Paestum–Napoli, with an aggressive race strategy and a double top 10 finish in Naples.

The Reverberi-led team animated the race from the very beginning thanks to the breakaway of Manuele Tarozzi and Martin Marcellusi, both key figures in the move that shaped much of the stage together with Edward Planckaert, Luca Vergallito and Mattia Bais. The two Bardiani-CSF 7 Saber riders worked strongly in the break and kept the move alive until 30 km to go, when the peloton came back together ahead of the final sprint.

Filippo Magli was among the standout riders of the day, winning the Red Bull KM intermediate sprint before confirming his strong performance with an excellent 8th place in the hectic bunch sprint. Just behind him, Enrico Zanoncello finished 9th, completing the Italian team’s double top 10.

The stage victory went to Davide Ballerini (XDS Astana Team), who managed to avoid the crash at the entrance of the finishing straight and held off the comeback of Jasper Stuyven and Paul Magnier.

Davide Ballerini wins stage six. Sirotti photo

It was therefore another day in the spotlight for Bardiani-CSF 7 Saber at the Giro d’Italia, with attacks, visibility in the breakaway and two riders among the top ten at the finish.

Here's the report from fifth-place Ben Turner's Team Netcompany INEOS:

A determined Ben Turner sprinted to fifth in after being caught behind a crash on a wet finish into Naples on stage six of the Giro d’Italia.

Turner was slowed by two riders crashing in front of him on the final corner, but fought to the line on a slippery uphill finish, which was won by Davide Ballerini (Astana).

The perlon rides by the ancient Paestum ruins.

Egan Bernal and Thymen Arensman retained their overall positions ahead of stage seven’s stern Blockhaus GC test on Friday as they arrived safely in the peloton