Nico Denz Wins Giro d'Italia Stage 18 Solo

Nico Denz of Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe secured a solo victory in stage 18 of the Giro d'Italia after breaking away from a group of 11 riders with 11 kilometers to go, marking his third Giro stage win. The 144 km stage from Morbegno to Cesano Maderno saw Denz finish about a minute ahead of Mirco Maestri and Edward Planckaert, while the main peloton took a relaxed approach before the upcoming mountain stages. Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe celebrated the win after losing GC contenders Primož Roglič and Jai Hindley to injury. Overall leader Isaac Del Toro retained the pink jersey, now leading Richard Carapaz by 41 seconds and Simon Yates by 51 seconds. Juan Ayuso, another pre-race favorite, withdrew from the race due to ongoing issues with a bee sting and knee injury. The stage served as a morale boost for Denz and his team amid earlier setbacks.