Stage 18 of the Giro d'Italia 2026 and for the sprinters, the window is almost shut.

Polti VisitMalta went on the attack again in the break. Eulalio crashed and then lit up the final climb, but Visma were composed, reeling the move in with ease.

Then it came down to the sprint. Lidl-Trek were hellbent on delivering for Milan, but the positioning wasn't there. Stuyven and Magnier made it look straightforward, and before Milan could react, the door had closed.

One sprint left. Rome. That's it.

Ned Boulting and Jacopo Guarnieri with all the reaction and analysis from Stage 18.

For The Love Of Cycling is presented by ⁠Science in Sport.⁠

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