“I still can’t believe I won this stage,” Kuss said afterward. With this victory, the American completed his trilogy: Kuss has now won a stage in all three Grand Tours. “It’s something I’ve dreamed about for a long time, but I also knew it would be difficult to achieve. Every year the level gets higher, so I knew I wouldn’t have many chances left to win a stage in the Giro. Today, everything finally came together. This is special.”  

The queen stage covered 150 kilometers and featured no fewer than six categorized climbs along the route. After the start in Feltre, a battle for a place in the early breakaway began immediately. Eventually, a large lead group, including Kuss, managed to break away from the peloton. The breakaway worked well together and survived the demanding climbs of the Passo Duran and Passo Giau. In the group of favorites, Team Visma | Lease a Bike controlled the pace in support of leader Vingegaard.  

On the Passo Falzarego, the penultimate climb of the day, Giulio Ciccone attacked. The Italian quickly built a comfortable lead of more than a minute. At the foot of the final climb to Piani di Pezze, Kuss set the pace in the chasing group. The American underlined his strong form by accelerating in pursuit of Ciccone.  

In the closing kilometers, Kuss caught and passed the Italian. The 31-year-old American from Team Visma | Lease a Bike then soloed to his first-ever stage victory in the Giro d’Italia. He previously won a stage in the Tour de France in 2021, and claimed stage victories in the Vuelta a España in both 2019 and 2023.  

Behind him, Vingegaard responded attentively to an attack from Felix Gall. The Dane finished fifth. Davide Piganzoli crossed the line in eighth place and gained time in the battle for the white jersey. Kuss’s triumph marked Team Visma | Lease a Bike’s fifth stage victory of this Giro.  

“Our main objective today was to defend Jonas’s leader’s jersey,” Kuss reflected afterward. “Before the stage, I was told I could try to join the early breakaway. I got that opportunity, and I knew I had to make the most of it. It was an emotional moment when I crossed the finish line. I dedicate this victory to my family and friends, who often have to miss me during the season.”