Didn’t get enough of Igor Arrieta’s rain-drenched win of a chaotic Giro d’Italia Stage 5? Or of Eulálio’s taking the Maglia Rosa in “one of the slowest sprints in recent memory”? In this EuroTrash, Mike offers quotes, photos, and videos of that memorable stage. Elsewhere, Tim Merlier returned from a month off the bike with a dominant sprint victory on Tour of Hungary Stage 1, beating Juan Sebastián Molano. Cat Ferguson defended her title at the Navarra Women’s Elite Classic with a powerful sprint finish, extending her record as the race’s most successful rider. And Matthew Brennan opened the Flèche du Sud in Luxembourg with a convincing stage win — in similarly wet conditions.
TOP STORY
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“We Had Everything. Mostly Rain.” — Rider Reflections on Giro Stage 5
RACE NEWS
- Merlier Opens Hungary with Predicted Win
- Cat Ferguson Defends Navarra Title in Dominant Sprint
- Matthew Brennan Strikes Early at Flèche du Sud
TEAM, RIDER AND CYCLING NEWS
- The Campenaerts Vlog is Back!
- Albert Philipsen Recovering After Horrific Crash
- Hannah Otto to Ride Kilimanjaro for World Bicycle Relief
- UCI Cycling for All & Sustainability Winners Honored in Athens
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Manchester Met and British Cycling to Drive Innovation & Inclusion in Cycling
MIKE’S RIDE OF THE WEEK
- The Davis Double
VIDEO
- Hotel Dory on Italy’s Adriatic Coast
“We Had Everything. Mostly Rain.” — Rider Reflections on Giro Stage 5
Stage 5 of the 2026 Giro seemed unlikely to deliver much drama — but instead, after featuring the stage’s chaos earlier today, we’re devoting more pixels to recounting a hectic, gripping day of racing.
They’re swimming in it!
Torrential rain at the Giro d’Italia is making for even tougher conditions. pic.twitter.com/pVveLzh0Ek
— Cycling on TNT Sports (@cyclingontnt) May 13, 2026
Stage winner Igor Arrieta promptly featured his victory on his Instagram page, and was quoted as saying, “It was both a hard and crazy day, especially because of the weather… we didn’t know who was at the front, the radios were not working. I crashed, then he [Eulálio] crashed, then I went straight in a corner, but I said to myself that it was not possible to finish like this.”
New Maglia Rosa wearer Afonso Eulálio showed some humility, saying “”It was not a sprint at the end. Arrieta and I arrived completely dead, just fighting with our bike. It was one of the slowest sprints ever, I think.” But he also wasn’t shy about showing off his new pink jersey on Instagram.
Giulio Ciccone took some heat for not defending the leader’s jersey aggressively enough, but got plenty of social media mileage out of his one day in pink:
Meanwhile, the Giro’s GC favorites, including Jonas Vingegaard, Giulio Pellizari, Derek Gee, and Enric Mas had little to say about the crazy day; Vingegaard’s Visma | Lease A Bike team just posted a brief release to its website, with the headline Team Visma | Lease a Bike safely comes through rainy fifth stage.
But former winner Tom Dumoulin — no stranger to crazy Giro stages — spoke in defense of all of today’s riders, suggesting that the conditions were uniquely adverse: “I have actually rarely seen it this bad; I myself haven’t often crossed the finish line like that during my career.”
ℎ #GirodItalia pic.twitter.com/UmipMzV7lL
— Giro d’Italia (@giroditalia) May 13, 2026
RACE NEWS
Merlier Opens Hungary with Predicted Win
Tim Merlier announced his return to racing in emphatic fashion, claiming a dominant sprint victory on the opening stage of the Tour of Hungary. The Soudal Quick-Step sprinter outclassed a competitive field to beat Juan Sebastián Molano in Békéscsaba, after a largely uneventful 143-kilometer ride from Gyula.
The flat, four-lap route was always destined to end in a bunch sprint, and with no attacking intent from the peloton, only Lidl-Trek’s Mathias Norsgaard and Kristian Egholm had the ambition to go clear. The Danish duo picked up bonus seconds at intermediate sprints but were reeled in with roughly ten kilometers remaining, leaving the stage to be decided by the sprinters’ teams.
In the finale, UAE Emirates XRG delivered a well-timed lead-out for Molano — but it proved insufficient. Merlier, sitting perfectly on Molano’s wheel, unleashed a devastating burst of speed to win convincingly, despite having not raced in over a month.
The victory carries added significance as Merlier uses the Tour of Hungary as a springboard for his Tour de France preparation. With further sprint opportunities ahead in the race, the Belgian will be eager to build on this confident return.
Top Ten — Tour de Hongrie Stage 1, courtesy of ProCyclingStats
Cat Ferguson Defends Navarra Title in Dominant Sprint
Cat Ferguson secured back-to-back victories at the Navarra Women’s Elite Classic, proving fastest in a reduced sprint after 133.4 kilometres of hard racing around Pamplona. The Movistar rider’s win was a masterclass in both endurance and speed, showcasing why she is rapidly becoming one of women’s cycling’s most exciting talents.
The British rider out-sprinted Ruby Roseman-Gannon of Liv-Alula-Jayco and Fiona Mangan of Mayenne Monbana My Pie to take the victory. Two late climbs — the Muro de Obanos with 40km to go and the Muro de Tirapu with 29km remaining — decimated the day’s six-rider breakaway, setting up a tense finale.
While EF Education-Oatly led out the sprint for Nina Berton, it was Ferguson who proved the quickest, taking her third win of the season.
This was a convincing victory because it demanded much more than speed alone. The repeated walls, constant pressure, and late attacks made it a race for riders who could absorb hard efforts and still finish with punch — a profile that suits Ferguson increasingly well.
With two victories from six editions, Ferguson now holds the record for the most wins in the race’s history. At just 20 years old, the Skipton-born sprinter look like she could dominate this Spanish classic for years to come.
Top Ten — Navarra Women’s Elite Classic, courtesy of ProCyclingStats
Matthew Brennan Strikes Early at Flèche du Sud
Matthew Brennan announced his presence at the Flèche du Sud in style, winning the opening stage of the Luxembourg stage race on Wednesday to signal his intentions for the overall classification.
The Visma | Lease a Bike rider was something of a surprise addition to the start list, yet proved immediately why he warranted the billing of team leader, outclassing a field made up almost entirely of continental teams to claim victory on a punishing circuit around Stadtbredimus.
Brennan’s team are the only WorldTeam in the race — a notable step up in prestige this year, as the Flèche du Sud has been elevated to UCI 2.1 status for the first time. No ProTeam has made the trip to Luxembourg either, leaving the remainder of the start list to continental squads, a national selection, and the Baloise Verzekeringen-Het Poetsbureau Lions cyclocross outfit.
The opening stage was deceptively demanding. Six local laps around Stadtbredimus added up to just 94 kilometers, but with 1,300 meters of climbing packed into that distance, the race was always going to be selective. Racing in torrential rain, Brennan rose above the conditions to come out on top as the clear favorite had predicted.
Top Ten — 75th Flèche du Sud Stage 1, courtesy of ProCyclingStats
TEAM, RIDER AND CYCLING NEWS
The Campenaerts Vlog is Back!
Fear not, fans: after a brief digital detox, Victor Campenaerts is back to vlogging — now from the Giro d’Italia.
Campenaerts has earned a reputation for his dogged domestique duties, but also for producing entertaining video blogs, or vlogs.
“I actually deleted all social media apps in early December,” he told Sporza back in March. “It’s really hard to quit at first, but you have to fight it. I am actually very proud of how well it is going now.”
But now he’s vlogging from the Giro, giving cycling fans behind-the-scenes looks at life on the Visma | Lease A Bike team bus.
Asked what prompted his return to vlogging, Campenaerts said, “You have to ask yourself: What is your contribution to society as a cyclist? Throwing your wheel across the finish line first? Or inspiring and entertaining people?”
I, for one, am glad that Campenaerts gives us both.
Albert Philipsen Recovering After Horrific Crash
Albert Withen Philipsen has opened up about a terrifying training crash that left the 19-year-old Lidl-Trek rider badly shaken and facing time away from racing.
The young Dane was descending at around 80km/h last Friday when the accident occurred. He regained consciousness alone on the ground, bleeding from his face, and had to use a brief surge of adrenaline to call emergency services himself. “I think this is the first time I’ve ever truly been scared after a crash,” Philipsen admitted on Instagram.
Despite the severity of the impact, Philipsen escaped without broken bones or internal injuries, though he suffered a significant head blow and remains bruised. He thanked teammates and bystanders who assisted at the scene, crediting them with making “a huge difference.”
The crash is a setback for one of cycling’s most exciting young prospects. A former junior road race world champion, Philipsen has continued that trajectory into the WorldTour. He signed off with characteristic resilience: “I’ll come back stronger.”
Hannah Otto to Ride Kilimanjaro for World Bicycle Relief
This one seemed worth devoting some pixels to a mountain bike event: 2022 Leadville 100 winner Hannah Otto will attempt to become the fastest (and first) known female to complete a single-day bicycle ascent of Africa’s tallest peak, Mount Kilimanjaro — all 5,895 meters (19,341 feet) of it.
Backed by PEARL iZUME, Otto is aiming to raise $165,000 — enough to provide 1,000 bicycles — for World Bicycle Relief.
“Attempting to summit Kilimanjaro in one day is about expanding what’s possible; not just on the mountain, but in life. That’s why fundraising for World Bicycle Relief fits so perfectly, because for some people, the bike isn’t just a challenge, it’s a life changing opportunity,” said Otto.
PEARL iZUMi says that “Hannah will take on Kilimanjaro backed by a complete, purpose-built apparel system from the brand, engineered to perform across every vertical foot of a single-day summit bid. From the sweltering heat of the base to the sub-zero conditions at 19,341 feet, every piece of her kit has been developed…to meet the demands of one of the most extreme environments on earth.”
Here’s some information about Otto’s feat:
- Campaign Name: Beyond the Summit: Kilimanjaro for World Bicycle Relief
- Goal: Attempt to be the fastest (and first) known female to complete a single-day bicycle ascent of Mount Kilimanjaro, raising $165,000 (1,000 bikes) for World Bicycle Relief
- Launch Date: May 14, 2026
- Campaign Length: 1 Year
- Kilimanjaro Attempt Window: October 24–November 3
- Summit Elevation: 5,895 meters (19,341 feet)
- Fundraising Website: https://beyond-the-summit.raiselysite.com/
All of us here at Pez wish you luck and safety in this awesome and generous endeavor, Hannah!
UCI Cycling for All & Sustainability Winners Honored in Athens
The Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) has revealed the winners of its third annual Cycling for All & Sustainability Awards at the UCI Mobility & Bike City Forum in Athens, Greece.
Four initiatives were recognized across the award categories. The UCI Cycling for All Award went to France’s Fédération Française de Cyclisme for its Parc Mobi’Ludique program, which teaches children aged 6–11 to ride safely at permanent, freely accessible community spaces. The UCI Climate Action Award honored the Copenhagen Sprint for its industry-leading sustainability model, which cut CO₂ emissions by over 1,100 kg in its debut 2025 edition. The UCI Bike City Award was presented to Limburg-Valkenburg’s Road Map – Kids Cycling program, which engaged thousands of children across BMX, road, and mountain biking disciplines. Finally, the UCI Rainbow Award recognized the Netherlands’ Fietsmaatjes Brabant, a volunteer-driven initiative that helps people who can no longer ride independently enjoy cycling on side-by-side electric tandems.
UCI President David Lappartient praised all submissions, noting that the recognized projects “demonstrate that cycling can provide concrete solutions for making societies more sustainable and inclusive.”
Manchester Met and British Cycling to Drive Innovation & Inclusion in Cycling
Manchester Metropolitan University and British Cycling have announced a strategic partnership combining world-leading research with elite sport performance.
The collaboration will support Great Britain’s medal-winning cyclists while strengthening participation and inclusion across the UK. It spans performance science, engineering, data and AI, women’s sport and student development.
Manchester Met’s Institute of Sport will work alongside British Cycling’s elite programmes to deliver innovation across several areas — from optimising sprint cycling footwear and analysing muscle structure to understanding training load effectiveness.
The university’s Centre of Excellence for Women in Sport will also explore female-specific research, including women’s health, performance and equipment innovation such as bike and saddle design.
The partnership will create opportunities for students to gain experience in real-world elite sport environments, with ambitions to position Manchester as a global hub for sport science — linked to major events including the European College of Sport Science Congress in 2027.
MIKE’S RIDE OF THE WEEK: THE DAVIS DOUBLE
I’ve heard that the Davis Double Century is the longest-running double in the country. I’ll choose to believe that.
It’s not the event that it once was; like virtually every organized ride, numbers are down. But over 200 people still take it on annually, enjoying the (mostly) scenic course, the (typically) reliably pleasant weather, and the (always) excellent volunteer support.
This year I didn’t actually take on the Davis Double proper; this was the workers’ ride, a free, supported option, open to volunteers. So instead of 200+ companions, six of us left Davis at 5:15 a.m.
This isn’t one of those truly beastly doubles, with 20,000 feet of climbing, though the course does feature a few steady ascents — and sections with pretty rough roads.
And this year — notwithstanding those typically pleasant conditions — it got hot; we saw 95 degrees in the afternoon. I suffered over the last 40 miles!
An incredibly generous couple — Eric and Nancy — provided support, driving back and forth among the six of us. However, there was no true lunch stop, so I turned to a source of carbohydrates I haven’t consumed for something like twenty years.
Readers on the West Coast of the U.S., it’s not too late to take on this year’s Davis Double! Check it out at https://davisbikeclub.org/davis-double-century/.
PEZ VIDEO
Don’t let those downpour videos frighten you; Italy’s summer weather is typically glorious, especially on the Adriatic Coast. Check out Richard’s review of Hotel Dory, one of Italy’s premier bike hotels.
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The post EUROTRASH: Reflections on “Craziest” Giro Day appeared first on PezCycling News.
