Magnier confident ahead of Giro sprint ambitions in Bulgaria: 'This year we have a team built around me'

Paul Magnier made his Giro debut last year and came closest to a victory on stage 6, where he finished 3rd in Naples behind Kaden Groves. Since then, the 22-year-old Frenchman has claimed 21 victories, showcasing a significantly improved finishing touch, which is a positive sign ahead of his Giro return.

It’s clear that the team is all in for Magnier’s chances in the sprints, and the Frenchman looks optimistic ahead of the opening stages in Bulgaria.

"We have quite a few opportunities. Last year, I came here really just to discover the race. This year, we have a team built around me and built to try to get a win. The first chances in Bulgaria are interesting,” Magnier told CyclingProNet.

The first three stages in Bulgaria all present potential opportunities for the fast finishers, though stage 2 has a Category 3 climb inside the final 20km that could cause some problems for the sprinters. 

"I'm looking at the first three stages. The second will be a bit harder already, but we will focus on the first three. To be honest, I haven't really looked at the rest yet. I've been told there are five or six sprints in total, normally,” added Magnier.

Soudal Quick-Step Sports Director Davide Bramati also highlighted the team’s ambitions with Magnier, and their target of a stage victory, having missed out on one in 2025. The team have relatively recent memories of sprint success in Italy, with Tim Merlier taking a hat-trick of victories in 2024.

“It’s one of the best, hardest, and most unpredictable races of the season, but the team we have for the next three weeks and the ambition the riders are carrying to the start make us confident we can have an impact on the Giro,” said Bramati in an official press release.

“Paul returns after a strong debut last year, aiming to fight for a stage win, and he’ll be supported by an experienced lead-out train capable of guiding him through the hectic finale."

Among the Soudal squad is Jasper Stuyven, who has enjoyed a strong spring so far with the team, culminating with a 3rd place finish at Paris-Roubaix. The Belgian is lining up for his 14th Grand Tour and has invaluable experience.

Meanwhile, Filippo Zana is in good form, having won the Giro di Sardegna in March and finished 10th at Liège-Bastogne-Liège at the end of April. The Italian will represent the Belgian team in the GC battle and will hope to crack the top 10, having slipped to 11th on the penultimate stage in 2024.

“Jasper comes here after an impressive Classics campaign and can too be in the mix for some nice results, while Filippo will try to do a good general classification,” explained Bramati. “It’s a tough parcours and things can change from one day to another, so he will take it stage by stage and together we’ll see how things go.”

“If you look over our squad, you’ll see many riders who can be there, at the end of the stage or in a breakaway, something that gives us confidence. There’s a lot of enthusiasm in the team and we can’t wait to get things started," added Bramati.