'Some people were very hard on him in the spring' - Soudal Quick-Step CEO defends Magnier after Giro breakthrough

Magnier won three stages at the 2026 Giro and carried the maglia ciclamino all the way to Rome. The Frenchman became the second-youngest winner of the points classification in the race's history. 

After Magnier's results in the spring Classics, Foré believes some people were too quick to criticise the young Frenchman for not delivering earlier in the season.

"I think some people were very hard on him in the spring," Foré told Wielerflits. "Paul only turned 22 in March. Yes, we had ambitions in the spring, but he was quite ill at the start of the season and you don't just erase that. Then he had bad luck in the opening weekend and in races like In Flanders Fields, where under normal circumstances he always competes for the prizes. Perhaps he also made a number of rookie mistakes due to inexperience."

The Giro was the first Grand Tour Soudal Quick-Step had built around Magnier with a dedicated lead-out.

"We never doubted him, but we had to keep him calm. Everyone knows he has the qualities. But by now, you can also see from his positioning that he really comes at the right moments, senses when he ideally needs to attack, and then just sprints to the finish line,"

Beyond the wins themselves, Foré expects the Giro to have left a deeper mark on Magnier.

"Winning against the best sprinters in the world, except for his teammate Tim Merlier, of course, means a lot. The world elite was present in this Giro. That does a lot for a rider mentally; the realisation that you can win at the very highest level."

It was not only Magnier’s sprinting that strengthened Soudal Quick-Step’s belief in him. His ability to survive climbs across the three weeks in Italy also stood out.

"He surprised me in the Giro d'Italia by surviving more climbs than some other sprinters. We are convinced that he can do the same in one-day races, and there is still a lot of room for growth."

The Giro success inevitably raises questions about Soudal Quick-Step's Grand Tour planning for 2027. Magnier and Tim Merlier may both have ambitions for the Tour de France, but the team’s 2026 split, with Magnier at the Giro and Merlier heading to the Tour, was one Magnier himself appeared to accept after sealing the points jersey in Rome.

"I think Tim [Merlier] is truly the fastest sprinter in the world, and I hope he’ll be able to shine at the Tour de France. As for me, I’m going to try to rest up to have a strong end to the season," Magnier said after claiming the maglia ciclamino.

Foré echoed that view, suggesting the Tour remains a very different environment for a young sprinter still building his place at the top level.

"This year we chose to take Paul to the Giro and Tim to the Tour. We'll see what next year brings then. In terms of pressure and hectic pace, the Tour is on a completely different level," concluded Foré.