'You will not see Michael Phelps running' - Narváez explains tactical masterclass after third Giro win

Narvaez had to work for the move from the very start, missing the first two attempted breakaways before bridging across to the day's leading group after two hours of hard racing. Speaking after the line, the Ecuadorian was open about how difficult the day had been before it had even begun to suit him.

"All day, all day," Narvaez said when asked which part of the stage had been hardest. "When we started the meeting on the bus we said we have to jump in the breakaway because that was our goal. Then we missed the first group, then we missed the second group, and then two hours after a hard race, I tried to jump straight to the breakaway. I think this was difficult."

The closing kilometres came down to a two-up between Narvaez and Mas, with the Spaniard the stronger climber on the day's closing ascent.

"Enric Mas was the strongest in the climb and I knew I had to play my game. He is stronger than me in the climbs, of course. But I remember a book I was reading and the book said: if you don't have your game, just make your own game. You will not see Michael Phelps running. He is a specialist for the pool. I just tried to defend myself on the uphill."

Mas launched the sprint with 200 metres to go, and Narvaez admitted afterwards he had been nervous about the line the Spaniard had taken.

"I was scared, I was scared, because when he did the sprint, he almost tried to close me into the barriers. It was on the limit."

The Ecuadorian held his line, came around the Spaniard in the closing metres, and took his third Giro stage of 2026 after his earlier wins on stage 4 in Cosenza and stage 8.

"It was amazing. All day was full-gas, full-gas race. Because we don't race just in the uphill. We race in the downhill also."

The win is UAE's fourth of the race, with the team's three GC leaders all out and Narvaez personally responsible for three of those four stage wins. Igor Arrieta took the other on stage 5 in Potenza. 

The Ecuadorian's run of form since returning from January's crash at the Tour Down Under is the kind of comeback few would have predicted from a rider who spent the spring rehabbing rather than racing.