Benoît Cosnefroy finished third in the Giro del Veneto according to results published by multiple cycling outlets including CyclingUpToDate and ProCyclingUK. The UAE Team Emirates-XRG rider was positioned by world champion Brandon McNulty in the final kilometre on the uphill finish at Monte Berico in Vicenza after a 167.9-kilometre race from Verona. Alessandro Covi of Team Jayco AlUla took the victory with an enduring sprint while Anthon Charmig of Uno-X Mobility placed second. The race came down to a reduced group of around 40 riders in the closing stages after earlier breakaways were reeled in.
UAE Team Emirates-XRG controlled much of the latter part of the race a WAM report detailed. Pavel Sivakov and António Morgado worked to close down the initial eight-rider break that formed after 30 kilometres and held a maximum advantage of several minutes. The break was fully caught with 44 kilometres remaining before further attacks in the final circuits were neutralised. McNulty then took over on the front in the last lap to set up Cosnefroy for the sprint.
The 89th edition of the Italian one-day race featured repeated attacks on the five laps of a 15-kilometre finishing circuit that included the Monte Berico climb according to race reports from Sky Sport and Tuttobiciweb. Fabio Christen and Marc Hirschi attempted a move that was shut down six kilometres from the line. Christian Scaroni and other riders contested the final climb but Covi launched his winning effort inside the last 200 metres. Cosnefroy held on for third to round out the podium in a tight uphill sprint.
UAE Team Emirates-XRG entered the event as the top-ranked UCI WorldTeam having held the leading position in the UCI standings for multiple seasons a Wikipedia overview and team history on its website confirm. The squad previously won the Giro del Veneto in 2025 with Isaac del Toro. Cosnefroy’s result continues the team’s strong late-season form as it heads into the final races of 2026. The organisation which traces its WorldTour licence to the former Lampre team has secured numerous Grand Tour titles in recent years primarily through Tadej Pogačar.
The Giro del Veneto serves as one of the final Italian classics of the calendar and often concludes with a demanding finish in Vicenza according to coverage from Domestique Cycling and CyclismActu. This year’s edition saw the original breakaway dismantled by coordinated efforts from several squads including UAE Team Emirates-XRG. Covi’s win marked his first victory of the 2026 season and his first since joining Jayco AlUla. Several Italian riders featured in the top 10 which was dominated by WorldTour and ProTeam athletes.
Cosnefroy’s podium adds to UAE Team Emirates-XRG’s achievements in one-day races this year team profiles from CyclingArchives indicate. The French rider has established himself as a key contender in hilly classics for the Emirati squad. Brandon McNulty’s work as a domestique in the finale highlighted the team’s depth even on days when the designated leader does not win. The squad’s consistent presence at the front of such races underscores its status among the peloton’s leading outfits.
