Giro del Veneto: Alessandro Covi pulls off first win of 2026 with well-timed sprint
Jayco AlUla rider tops Charmig, Cosnefroy in ProSeries race
An exceptionally long uphill drive for the line netted Jayco-AlUla racer Alessandro Covi a small bunch sprint victory on home soil in the Giro del Veneto on Wednesday.
Covi began his move some 300 metres to go on Vicenza's Monte Berico, and the Italian climber narrowly fended off a almost equally persistent Uno-X Mobility's Anthon Charmig to claim his first victory since a stage of the Vuelta a Asturias last year.
UAE Team Emirates-XRG had dominated proceedings in a tightly controlled bunch in the last 50 kilometres, first with Pavel Sivakov and then with World Champion Brandon McNulty. But their designated contender, France's Benoit Cosnefrôy, could not repeat teammate Isaac del Toro's win in Veneto last year and finally had to settle for third.
Covi's home triumph also ended a lengthy drought on victories for Jayco-AlUla, whose last win was a stage of 2026 Tour de France with Mauro Schmid.
Asked by race TV about his lengthy wait for a victory this year with Jayco-AlUla, Covi explained that it was impossible to predict when success would happen.
"You never know, it's difficult to win, but if it happens in October it's still a big victory," he said.
"Also, it's a nice race, I already did it a few times. It's the end of the season, a lot of the guys are tired - me too.
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"But it's nice to win with a new jersey, [it's been] ten months before this victory arrived but it's a really nice victory."
McNulty on the attack
In a race which took a long time to come alive, an early attack by eight low-profile riders, all of them from Continental or Club level bar one, Tommaso Nencini (Solution Tech Nippo Rali), was the standout feature of the first 100 kilometres.
Together with Nencini, the strongest in the all-Italian break - Francisco Carollo and his Swatt Club teammate, Giacomo Garavaglia , Kevin Pezzo Rosola and Thomas Rossetti (both General Store - Essegibi - F.Lli Curia), Leonardo Volpato (Campana Imballaggi - Morbiato - Trentino) and Riccardo Lorello (S.C. Padovani Polo Cherry Bank) had a two-minute lead on the pack as they passed the finish line for the first time in Vicenza, positioned two thirds of the way up the kilometre-long Monte Berico.
Having enjoyed their time in the warm autumn sunshine, with three local laps of five and 44 kilometres to go the last of the early breakaways was caught, in large part thanks to Pavel Sivakov's aggressive patrolling on the front of the bunch. Whilst a subsequent brief dig by Andrea Petrobon (Polti-VisitMalta) kept viewers entertained, there was little sense, though, that the main contenders were ready - or perhaps even able, given UAE's iron grip on proceedings - to make a long-distance move.
Once Petrobon was sucked in on the second-to-last ascent of the Monte Berico, the same grinding-down process continued, as UAE both controlled their most dangerous rivals with a high pace that simultaneously saw numerous riders shed out the back.
Pounding up the Arcugnano, the other, far gentler, main ascent on the circuit, Sivakov kept up the hard work whilst the white jersey of teammate and World Champion Brandon McNulty was never far away, either.
Tudor and Uno-X Mobility were the keenest to lead into the last full ascent of the Berico, but their efforts to break UAE's long stranglehold on affairs proved limited. Rather, Sivakov delivered one final effort, and as the bunch romped through the finish line and over the top of the grinding, steady climb, McNulty himself tried to go clear.
The American's flick-of-the-elbow gesture to co-attacker Christian Scaroni (XDS-Astana) to come through failed to spark enough of a reaction, though for his plan to work out, and instead there was a general regrouping. Marc Hirschi (Tudor) then rolled back the years with a searing uphill move, and while McNulty visibly sat up, both Hirschi and Fabio Christen (Pinarello-Q36.5) were able to go clear.
The two had a gap of almost ten seconds as they blasted along the undulating Arcugnano and McNulty then delivered yet another counter-attack to try and bridge across. However, the American could not make it alone, his rainbow jersey meaning he was heavily marked.
Even so, with six kilometres to go McNulty's constant accelerations did bring the bunch up to the two Swiss riders, and the American then almost single handedly ensured things remained together en route to the final, partial ascent of the Berico.
The front group of some 60 or 70 riders was still loosely together on the foot of the climb, as McNulty continued to drive away, only dropping back with 400 metres to go. However, Covi then launched a very long, sustained acceleration that saw the Italian both draw out the main group and stay ahead. Then whilst Charmig pushed Covi hard and Cosnefrôy and Christen were closing in fast, the 28-year-old Italian still had both the energy and resistance to manage to keep his rivals behind his front wheel all the way to the line.
"[Teammate Andrea] Vendrame was the guy we had for the sprint, but in the middle of the circuit, he came to me, said he didn't feel good and I should wait for the sprint," Covi explained afterwards about how he'd taken a much-needed victory for himself and the team.
"So I did exactly what he said, I never moved, I was always in the first group and I just tried for the sprint, and then I won. So that was super nice of Andrea, too."
Results
Position |
Rider (Country) Team |
Time Gap |
|---|---|---|
1 |
Alessandro Covi (Ita) Team Jayco-AlUla |
03:35:52 |
2 |
Anthon Charmig (Den) Uno-X Mobility |
Row 1 - Cell 2 |
3 |
Benoît Cosnefroy (Fra) UAE Team Emirates-XRG |
Row 2 - Cell 2 |
4 |
Fabio Christen (Swi) Pinarello-Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team |
Row 3 - Cell 2 |
5 |
Christian Scaroni (Ita) XDS Astana Team |
Row 4 - Cell 2 |
6 |
Alessandro Fancellu (Ita) MBH Bank Ballan Telecom Fort |
Row 5 - Cell 2 |
7 |
Roger Adrià (Spa) Movistar Team |
Row 6 - Cell 2 |
8 |
Clement Izquierdo (Fra) Cofidis |
Row 7 - Cell 2 |
9 |
Ludovico Crescioli (Ita) Team Polti VisitMalta |
Row 8 - Cell 2 |
10 |
Simone Velasco (Ita) XDS Astana Team |
Row 9 - Cell 2 |
11 |
Iker Mintegi (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi |
Row 10 - Cell 2 |
12 |
Filippo Turconi (Ita) Bardiani-CSF 7 Saber |
Row 11 - Cell 2 |
13 |
Pau Martí (Spa) NSN Cycling Team |
Row 12 - Cell 2 |
14 |
Dario Giuliano (Fra) Team Polti VisitMalta |
Row 13 - Cell 2 |
15 |
Alex Molenaar (Ned) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA |
Row 14 - Cell 2 |
16 |
Dario Belletta (Ita) Team Polti VisitMalta |
Row 15 - Cell 2 |
17 |
Bastien Tronchon (Fra) Groupama-FDJ United |
Row 16 - Cell 2 |
18 |
Dylan Teuns (Bel) Cofidis |
Row 17 - Cell 2 |
19 |
Gorka Corres (Spa) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA |
Row 18 - Cell 2 |
20 |
Fausto Masnada (Ita) MBH Bank Ballan Telecom Fort |
Row 19 - Cell 2 |
21 |
Filippo Agostinacchio (Ita) Biesse-Carrera Premac |
Row 20 - Cell 2 |
22 |
Jon Barrenetxea (Spa) Movistar Team |
Row 21 - Cell 2 |
23 |
Marc Hirschi (Swi) Tudor Pro Cycling Team |
Row 22 - Cell 2 |
24 |
Diego Ulissi (Ita) XDS Astana Team |
00:00:09 |
25 |
Aimé De Gendt (Bel) Pinarello-Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team |
00:00:11 |
26 |
Marcel Camprubí (Spa) Pinarello-Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team |
00:00:12 |
27 |
Michele Bicelli (Ita) Biesse-Carrera Premac |
00:00:17 |
28 |
Santiago Umba (Col) Solution Tech-NIPPO-Rali |
00:00:17 |
29 |
Lorenzo Germani (Ita) Groupama-FDJ United |
00:00:17 |
30 |
Corbin Strong (NZl) NSN Cycling Team |
00:00:17 |
31 |
Quinten Hermans (Bel) Pinarello-Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team |
00:00:21 |
32 |
Stefano Masciarelli (Ita) SC Padovani Polo Cherry Bank |
00:00:25 |
33 |
Rick Pluimers (Ned) Tudor Pro Cycling Team |
00:00:30 |
34 |
Nicola Conci (Ita) XDS Astana Team |
00:00:31 |
35 |
Lorenzo Milesi (Ita) Movistar Team |
00:00:35 |
36 |
Sakarias Koller Løland (Nor) Uno-X Mobility |
00:00:37 |
37 |
Brandon McNulty (USA) UAE Team Emirates-XRG |
00:00:50 |
38 |
George Bennett (NZl) NSN Cycling Team |
00:01:02 |
39 |
Brieuc Rolland (Fra) Groupama-FDJ United |
00:01:04 |
40 |
Jonas Abrahamsen (Nor) Uno-X Mobility |
00:01:29 |
41 |
Filippo Magli (Ita) Bardiani-CSF 7 Saber |
00:01:57 |
42 |
Jon Agirre (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi |
00:01:57 |
43 |
Edoardo Zamperini (Ita) Cofidis |
00:01:57 |
44 |
Giacomo Villa (Ita) Biesse-Carrera Premac |
00:01:57 |
45 |
Francisco Peñuela (Ven) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA |
00:01:57 |
46 |
Florian Kajamini (Ita) MBH Bank Ballan Telecom Fort |
00:01:57 |
47 |
Jonathan Lastra (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi |
00:01:57 |
48 |
António Morgado (Por) UAE Team Emirates-XRG |
00:01:57 |
49 |
Pier-André Côté (Can) NSN Cycling Team |
00:01:57 |
50 |
Louis Sutton (GBr) Euskaltel-Euskadi |
00:01:57 |
51 |
Davide De Cassan (Ita) General Store-Essegibi-F.Ili Curia |
00:01:57 |
52 |
Andrii Ponomar (Ukr) General Store-Essegibi-F.Ili Curia |
00:01:57 |
53 |
Kasper Andersen (Den) Swatt Club |
00:01:57 |
54 |
Sergio Samitier (Spa) Cofidis |
00:01:57 |
55 |
Sylvain Moniquet (Bel) Cofidis |
00:01:57 |
56 |
Robin Donzé (Swi) Tudor Pro Cycling Team |
00:01:57 |
57 |
Jack Rootkin-Gray (GBr) Swatt Club |
00:01:57 |
58 |
Andrea Mifsud (Mlt) Team Polti VisitMalta |
00:02:02 |
59 |
Alessandro Milesi (Ita) Biesse-Carrera Premac |
00:02:02 |
60 |
Yann Dubois (Fra) Groupama-FDJ United |
00:02:02 |
61 |
Santiago Ferraro (Ita) Bardiani-CSF 7 Saber |
00:02:02 |
62 |
Markus Hoelgaard (Nor) Uno-X Mobility |
00:02:07 |
63 |
Nicoló Arrighetti (Ita) General Store-Essegibi-F.Ili Curia |
00:02:08 |
64 |
Simon Dalby (Den) Uno-X Mobility |
00:02:08 |
65 |
Tommaso Quaglia (Ita) SC Padovani Polo Cherry Bank |
00:02:14 |
67 |
Kyrylo Tsarenko (Ukr) Solution Tech-NIPPO-Rali |
00:02:14 |
68 |
Mikel Bizkarra (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi |
00:02:14 |
69 |
Pablo Lospitao (Spa) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA |
00:02:14 |
70 |
Fernando Barceló (Spa) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA |
00:02:14 |
71 |
Marco Palomba (Ita) SC Padovani Polo Cherry Bank |
00:02:16 |
72 |
Leonardo Vesco (Ita) Biesse-Carrera Premac |
00:02:18 |
73 |
Mattia Bais (Ita) Team Polti VisitMalta |
00:02:22 |
74 |
Alex Tolio (Ita) Bardiani-CSF 7 Saber |
00:02:24 |
75 |
Pavel Sivakov (Fra) UAE Team Emirates-XRG |
00:02:25 |
76 |
Luca Cretti (Ita) MBH Bank Ballan Telecom Fort |
00:02:29 |
77 |
Lorenzo Galimberti (Ita) Swatt Club |
00:02:39 |
78 |
Martin Marcellusi (Ita) Bardiani-CSF 7 Saber |
00:02:39 |
79 |
Finlay Pickering (GBr) Team Jayco-AlUla |
00:02:39 |
80 |
Andrea Vendrame (Ita) Team Jayco-AlUla |
00:02:39 |
81 |
Edward Dunbar (Irl) Pinarello-Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team |
00:02:39 |
82 |
Valentin Madouas (Fra) Groupama-FDJ United |
00:02:39 |
83 |
Quentin Pacher (Fra) Groupama-FDJ United |
00:02:39 |
84 |
Sjoerd Bax (Ned) Pinarello-Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team |
00:02:39 |
85 |
Cesare Chesini (Ita) MBH Bank Ballan Telecom Fort |
00:04:33 |
86 |
Daniele Forlin (Ita) Movistar Team |
00:06:59 |
87 |
Estanislao Calabuig (Spa) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA |
00:06:59 |
88 |
Nicola Zumsteg (Swi) Biesse-Carrera Premac |
00:06:59 |
89 |
Baptiste Lecoq (Fra) Tudor Pro Cycling Team |
00:06:59 |
90 |
Javier Cubillas (Spa) Movistar Team |
00:06:59 |
91 |
Mattia Negrente (Ita) XDS Astana Team |
00:06:59 |
92 |
Matteo Scalco (Ita) XDS Astana Team |
00:06:59 |
93 |
Baptiste Grégoire (Fra) Groupama-FDJ United |
00:06:59 |
94 |
Enrico Simoni (Ita) Campana Imballaggi Geo&Tex Trentino |
00:07:25 |
95 |
Roberto Busanello (Ita) Campana Imballaggi Geo&Tex Trentino |
00:07:25 |
96 |
Riccardo Colombo (Ita) Team Jayco-AlUla |
00:07:28 |
97 |
Mattia Sambinello (Ita) Team Jayco-AlUla |
00:07:40 |
98 |
Filippo Baroncini (Ita) UAE Team Emirates-XRG |
00:07:40 |
99 |
Márk Valent (Hun) MBH Bank Ballan Telecom Fort |
00:07:46 |
100 |
Luis Alberto Lajarin (Spa) Cofidis |
00:07:46 |
101 |
Leonardo Volpato (Ita) Campana Imballaggi Geo&Tex Trentino |
00:07:46 |
102 |
Jefferson Cepeda (Ecu) Movistar Team |
00:07:46 |
103 |
Giacomo Garavaglia (Ita) Swatt Club |
00:07:46 |
104 |
Nick Schultz (Aus) NSN Cycling Team |
00:07:46 |
105 |
Kevin Biehl (Den) General Store-Essegibi-F.Ili Curia |
00:07:46 |
106 |
Jacopo Pignatti (Ita) SC Padovani Polo Cherry Bank |
00:07:46 |
107 |
Nicolas Alustiza (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi |
00:07:46 |
108 |
Luca Covili (Ita) Bardiani-CSF 7 Saber |
00:07:46 |
109 |
Andrea Pietrobon (Ita) Team Polti VisitMalta |
00:07:46 |
110 |
Joseba Lopez (Spa) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA |
00:07:46 |
111 |
Toralf Rydningen Martinsen (Nor) Uno-X Mobility |
00:07:49 |
112 |
Francesco Carollo (Ita) Swatt Club |
00:07:58 |
113 |
Alessandro Verre (Ita) MBH Bank Ballan Telecom Fort |
00:08:06 |
114 |
Matias Malmberg (Den) Swatt Club |
00:08:10 |
Alasdair Fotheringham has been reporting on cycling since 1991. He has covered every Tour de France since 1992 bar one, as well as numerous other bike races of all shapes and sizes, ranging from the Olympic Games in 2008 to the now sadly defunct Subida a Urkiola hill climb in Spain. As well as working for Cyclingnews, he has also written for The Independent, The Guardian, ProCycling, The Express and Reuters.
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