Benoît Cosnefroy powers to thrilling victory at the Coppa Sabatini

With a brilliant burst of speed inside the final few hundred metres, Benoît Cosnefroy won the Coppa Sabatini on Thursday afternoon.

The victory is his fifth in his debut campaign with UAE Team Emirates-XRG, and the first of his career on Italian soil. It was a win that was hard-fought in an uphill sprint to the line in Peccioli, with Cosnefroy just edging out Clément Venturini (Unibet Rose Rockets) and the French national champion Romain Grégoire (Groupama-FDJ United).

For a long time, it looked as though Giulio Pellizzari might take a second win in as many days for Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe, with the Italian taking another flyer in sight of the finish town. However, despite making a fine effort of it, the peloton was not to be taken for a fool for the second day running.

A coordinated chase broke out behind Pellizzari, and allowed the other contenders to be within sight of the young talent as the road reared up towards the finish line. Their job was not done, though, with the Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe man refusing to give up the dream.

In the end, it was Cosnefroy of UAE Team Emirates-XRG who extinguished Pellizzari’s hopes.

Sensing his moment, the Frenchman launched his move with around 200m to ride. Sprinting past his closest challengers, Cosnefroy sailed over the shoulder of Pellizzari and had only the open road ahead of him. Maintaining his speed to the line, the 30-year-old had a couple of bike lengths of an advantage as he hit the finish.

The gap allowed Cosnefroy to post up and celebrate in style as he claimed his fifth win of the season. He had saved his best until last on Thursday afternoon, and came away with the goods. It is another moment of delight for the Frenchman in his first season with UAE Team Emirates-XRG.

Cosnefroy: “Inside the final few hundred metres to go, I did my best sprint to try to win. I was feeling good in this sprint, but in the day I was not confident in the downhill or in the bunch. A lot of times I got dropped and then came back again, it was only in the final that this was different. I am really happy to take this victory for my teammates, for my team, and it is my first victory here in Italy, which is important for my career.

“Every race I try my best, but this morning I was not confident with the rain. It is like this: I stay patient on the wheels and at the end, it is a victory. I am so happy.

“Giulio [Pellizzari] has a really good shape this week, like yesterday. But sometimes it is like this, sometimes he attacks and sometimes the bunch win. But he is really a great rider and I like Giulio.”

Coppa Sabatini 2026 results:

1. Benoît Cosnefroy (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) 4:40:55

2. Clément Venturini (Unibet Rose Rockets) s.t

3. Romain Grégoire (Groupama-FDJ United) s.t

Despite being down to just four riders, UAE Team Emirates-XRG has continued to battle hard in search of further success at the Vuelta a España.

These efforts continued on Thursday, with João Almeida and Ivo Oliveira finishing in third and eighth place, respectively, in the stage 18 individual time trial. For Almeida, it was his best display of the race so far, as the Portuguese rider continues building towards his top shape.

The 28-year-old was in fine form aboard his Colnago TT2, clocking the fastest time at the first intermediate time check. Almeida then delivered a consistent ride to the finish in Jerez de la Frontera, eventually finishing the day with the third-fastest time.

After a stop-start campaign that has been heavily disrupted by illness, the stage result is another indication that the UAE Team Emirates-XRG man is trending in the right direction. As for his teammate Oliveira, the fellow Portuguese rider also delivered an eye-catching display in the south of Spain.

Oliveira was inside the top 10 at both of the intermediate time checks, before crossing the line with the eighth-best time on the day.

With three stages left at this year’s Vuelta a España, the Emirati squad will look to add to the three stage wins it has already taken in the final Grand Tour of the season.

Vuelta a España 2026 stage 18 (ITT) results:

1. Stefan Küng (Tudor Pro Cycling) 35:22

2. Callum Thornley (Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe) +2″

3. João Almeida (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) +8″

8. Ivo Oliveira (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) +29″