With opportunities spread throughout three weeks of racing from Nessebar in Bulgaria to the finish line in Rome, NSN Cycling Team will line up for this year’s Giro d’Italia with hopes of stage victories, a strong GC showing, and, if all goes well, a stint in the maglia rosa.
The race’s Grande Partenza in the Balkan country offers early sprint opportunities for Ethan Vernon and Corbin Strong, who will be supported by Jake Stewart, Ryan Mullen, Nick Schultz, and Dion Smith.
Following a promising early-season campaign, home rider Alessandro Pinarello will look to go stage hunting in the intermediate stages, while Jan Hirt will attempt to repeat his top 10 GC finishes in 2022 and 2024 with a strong performance across the 21 stages.
There could be double-digit opportunities for Vernon, who leads the way for the team with four victories to date in 2026, and Milano Sanremo top-five finisher Strong. These start as early as day one, a pan-flat stage that finishes in Burgas, Bulgaria’s fourth-largest city. A sprinter looks destined to take the first pink jersey of the race.
Sports Director Dimitri Claeys explained: “We start the Giro in Bulgaria with ambition, targeting stage success with our leaders Ethan and Corbin.
“Jan has already finished in the top 10 of the Giro twice and comes in well prepared, so we expect him to be in the mix for the top 10 again.
“After a very promising start to the season, we’re looking forward to seeing Alessandro’s progression. He will have opportunities to go for stage results on the medium mountain stages.
“With Jake, Ryan, Nick, and Dion, we have a very experienced core to provide strong support for the team.”
British rider Vernon will start his second Giro off the back of victories in the Tour Down Under, Region Pays de la Loire, and the Volta a Catalunya, the team’s home race, already this season.
“I’m really looking forward to starting the Giro,” he says. “This will be the first Grand Tour I go into with good confidence and where I’m backing myself.
“It was always the plan to do a lot of stage racing before the Giro and try to take as many wins as possible, and that’s gone really well this season, with four wins already coming into the race.
“I definitely believe I can compete for a victory. There’s already a big opportunity on stage one, which is extra motivation when the leader’s jersey is up for grabs. Stage one is a massive focus for me, but also stage three, and stage two for Corbin.
“For the team, it’s a really important first three days, with a chance to take pink — whether that’s me on stage one or Corbin on stage two. We’re super motivated and want to keep the winning momentum we’ve built this season.”
Pinarello will get the added bonus of riding on home roads in the race on stage 18, which finishes in Pieve di Soligo, barely 15 kilometers away from his birthplace in Conegliano.
The 22-year-old says: “As an Italian rider, it’s always very special to start the Giro again. It’s the biggest race in Italy, with so many fans coming out to watch, so it really means a lot.
“The approach this year has been completely different, as I did a big block of altitude training.
“There’s no pressure from the team for GC, we want to see how I go over three weeks. The goal is to try to take the best possible result on stages, whether that’s from a breakaway or in a reduced group, and also to support Corbin.
“My expectation is to try to win a stage, and if I have the legs, maybe look at GC in the third week — but that’s not the main objective.”
New Zealander Strong returns to the Giro a year on from a near-miss in Vlorë, Albania, where he almost claimed his first Grand Tour victory.
Potential opportunities for him begin as early as stage two, which finishes in Veliko Tarnovo, while the race’s first finish back in its homeland on stage four also jumps out as one for him.
“The Giro provides a lot of opportunities for us as a team,” he says. “We have a strong squad for the sprints and also some climbers coming in with good form.
“I’m really looking forward to starting the race with this group, and I think we can have a really strong three weeks together.”
NSN Cycling Team at Giro d’Italia (Friday 8 May to Sunday 31 May)
Riders: Jan Hirt (CZE), Ryan Mullen (IRL), Alessandro Pinarello (ITA), Nick Schultz (AUS), Dion Smith (NZL), Jake Stewart (GBR), Corbin Strong (NZL) and Ethan Vernon (GBR)
Sports Directors: Dimitri Claeys (BEL), Francesco Frassi (ITA) and Alex Cataford (CAN)
