Giro 2026: these were the revelations

Every Grand Tour sees riders who break through. The Giro d'Italia 2026 was no different. In this article, we list the revelations from the past three weeks.

Afonso Eulálio

Sixth in the general classification, nine days in the pink jersey, victory in the young rider classification. Afonso Eulálio might just be the revelation of this Giro. And not only because of those impressive results and achievements. The Portuguese rider won the hearts of cycling fans mainly through his attacking style, fighting spirit, and cheeky smile. We will enjoy this rider just as much in the coming years as he enjoys the whole game.

Davide Piganzoli

We called Eulálio 'perhaps the revelation of this Giro' because Davide Piganzoli is also in contention for that title. Although the Italian from Visma | Lease a Bike was unable to take the white jersey from Eulálio during the final weekend, he showed some very strong moments throughout the three weeks. Not only was the 23-year-old rider very important for Jonas Vingegaard, he was also often able to keep up with the very best climbers. An eighth place in the general classification does not fully reflect just how strong Piganzoli was at times.

Ludovico Crescioli

The Italians did not contend for the overall victory in this Giro, but there were some bright spots. There were stage wins for Davide Ballerini, Filippo Ganna and Alberto Bettiol, and we already mentioned the performances of Davide Piganzoli. Additionally, Ludovico Crescioli stood out. The 22-year-old talent from Polti VisitMalta attacked frequently and climbed especially well during the final weekend. A win eluded him this Giro, but there is no doubt that will come in the future.

Tim Rex

Some riders get a lot of attention because they ride ahead of the peloton, others because they lead that peloton from the front. Tim Rex belongs to that latter group. The Belgian from Visma | Lease a Bike controlled half mountain stages on his own for his team leader Jonas Vingegaard. He also went viral when he nearly cried from the suffering during one of his turns at the front. A beautiful image of T-Rex, which we hope to see many times more.

Guillermo Thomas Silva

Back to the start of the Giro, back to the Bulgarian opening weekend. It feels like ages ago, yet we clearly remember how Guillermo Thomas Silva sprinted to the stage victory on day two. The first Uruguayan ever to win a stage in the Giro! And claimed the pink jersey. Later in the race, the 24-year-old rider from XDS Astana confirmed his form with a sixth place, a fourth place and two third places.

Toon Aerts

Can you still be a revelation at the age of 32? Absolutely. Toon Aerts proves it. We know the Belgian mainly as a cyclocross rider, but last year he already tried the road a bit more and this season he has fully caught the bug. He also visibly enjoyed himself in his first Grand Tour. Aerts attacked multiple times and also achieved a very impressive second place in Novi Ligure.