Saturday’s second stage of the Giro d’Italia was a long and wet one in Bulgaria, another day marred by a massive crash, this wreck with greater consequences than Friday’s. Thomas Guillermo Silva became the first Uruguayan to win a Grand Tour stage in a chaotic finish. Having been caught up in that crash, Derek Gee-West’s GC aspirations took a blow as he lost a minute to the other favourites. Silva took the pink jersey from Paul Magnier.
Preliminaries
Twenty-two-year-old Paul Magnier’s first Grand Tour win put him in the pink jersey by four seconds over Tobias Lund Andresen and Manuele Tarozzi.
The Course
Stage 2 was the second longest of the 109th edition, and after two Cat. 3’s in the middle of the route, a Cat. 3 Lyaskovets Monastery Pass climb peaked 10 km from the finish line in Veliko Tarnovo. The Red Bull Kilometre, offering time bonuses of six, four and two seconds, was right before the foot of the final ascent. It rained on the riders.
On Friday, Diego Pablo Sevilla of Polti VisitMalta went in a two-man breakaway with another chap from an Italian ProTeam, snagging the first blue mountains jersey. On Saturday, Sevilla bounced free with a teammate, and added to his KOM lead on Byala Pass and Vratnik Pass.
The rain picked up on the way to the Red Bull Kilometre and the Lyaskovets Monastery Pass. The Polti-VisitMalta duo finally came to heel with 27 km to race.
A huge crash created havoc at 23 km remaining. Gee-West was caught up in it and looked dazed. Adam Yates came away bloody and his teammate Jay Vine was taken away by ambulance.
The race was neutralized but rolling, with a lot of conversation with the race director. Surprisingly, the race carried on with 18 km to go, fellows still trying to join the peloton. Egan Bernal picked up the six second bonus in the Red Bull Kilometre. Gee-West rejoined immediately after.
The action continued on Lyaskovets Monastery Pass, Visma-Lease a Bike setting the pace. Gee-West couldn’t hang. Magnier was also dropped. Gee-West fought his way back to the tail. Jonas Vingegaard opened it up with 650 meters to climb. Guilio Pellizzari and Lennard van Eetvelt were able to go with him.
With 5 km to go, the trio had a 20-second lead over a chasing group of 30 that contained Bernal, Felix Gall and Giulio Ciccone. On the hill leading to the finish line, Jan Christen bridged over. The other riders caught up and in the messy reduced-bunch sprint, Silva took the win.
Sunday’s final day in Bulgaria, one that precedes the first rest day and transfer to Italy, finishes in the capital of Sofia.
2026 Giro d’Italia, Stage 2
1) Guillermo Thomas Silva (Uruguay/XDS-Astana) 5:39:25
2) Florian Stork (Germany/Tudor) s.t.
3) Guilio Ciccone (Italy/Lidl-Trek) s.t.
51) Derek Gee West (Canada/Lidl-Trek) +1:01
71) Nickolas Zukowsky (Canada/Pinarello-Q36.5) +2:05
2026 Giro d’Italia GC
1) Guillermo Thomas Silva (Uruguay/XDS-Astana) 9:00:23
2) Florian Stork (Germany/Tudor) +0:04
3) Egan Bernal (Colombia/Netcompany-Ineos) s.t.
41) Derek Gee West (Canada/Lidl-Trek) +1:11