Dorian Godon wins chaotic Gran Piemonte sprint as Del Toro is caught and Caruso retires

Dorian Godon has won the 110th Gran Piemonte. The Frenchman was dropped on the final climb but recovered to win a messy sprint in Bra on Thursday 8 October, beating Anthon Charmig of Uno-X Mobility and Alberto Bettiol of XDS Astana. It was the Ineos rider's seventh win of 2026. The race was also the last of Damiano Caruso's long career, and it came two days before Il Lombardia, the final Monument of the season.

Del Toro's attack falls just short

The 185.3km race from Asti to Bra included around 2,560m of climbing through the hills of Piedmont. UAE Team Emirates-XRG brought back the early breakaway and kept the pace high. About 18km from the finish, Isaac del Toro attacked on the climb to La Morra. Only Finn Fisher-Black of Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe could go with him.

At one point the Mexican, who won this race last year, led the chasing peloton by around 28 seconds. Fisher-Black rejoined him on the descent towards Bra and the pair worked together. Ineos and other teams chased hard behind them, and they were caught with 1.5km to go.

A sprint shaped by crashes

The finish was chaotic. There was a crash about 600m from the line and another at the last tight corner, where Godon's teammate Axel Laurance went down. Godon had been following Laurance's wheel and only just avoided the fall. He launched his sprint straight out of the corner. Charmig had hit the front first, but Godon passed him before the line, and Bettiol took third. Lukas Nerurkar of EF Education-EasyPost led the next group home two seconds back.

Godon admitted he had not felt at his best and gave the credit to his teammates for putting him in position.

Caruso and Mosca bow out

Before the start, the peloton honoured two Italian riders who were retiring. Damiano Caruso of Bahrain Victorious, who finished second overall at the 2021 Giro d'Italia, rode his final race. So did Lidl-Trek's Jacopo Mosca, a long-serving domestique.

Widar's first pro win at Tre Valli Varesine

Gran Piemonte capped a busy week of Italian one-day racing. On Tuesday 6 October, 20-year-old Belgian Jarno Widar of Lotto-Intermarché took his first professional victory at the Tre Valli Varesine. Tom Pidcock attacked near the end of the 196.1km race from Busto Arsizio to Varese. Widar and Matteo Jorgenson went with him, and the three opened a gap of about 15 seconds with 10km to go. Widar won the three-man sprint, Pidcock was second by a second, and Jorgenson third.

Next up: Il Lombardia

Del Toro's attacking ride suggests he is in good form for Il Lombardia on Saturday 10 October, a race we previewed earlier this week. With the finish in Italy due in the afternoon local time, the decisive moments will come on Saturday evening Malaysia time.

Key takeaways

• Dorian Godon won the Gran Piemonte in Bra on 8 October ahead of Anthon Charmig and Alberto Bettiol.
• Isaac del Toro and Finn Fisher-Black were caught 1.5km from the finish after a long attack.
• Two late crashes, including one involving Godon's teammate Axel Laurance, made for a chaotic sprint.
• Damiano Caruso and Jacopo Mosca retired after the race, and Jarno Widar won Tre Valli Varesine on 6 October.

FAQ

Who won the 2026 Gran Piemonte? Dorian Godon of Ineos won the sprint in Bra, ahead of Anthon Charmig and Alberto Bettiol.

Who won the 2026 Tre Valli Varesine? Jarno Widar of Lotto-Intermarché took his first professional win, ahead of Tom Pidcock and Matteo Jorgenson.

When is Il Lombardia 2026? Il Lombardia, the final Monument of the season, is on Saturday 10 October.

Sources: Cyclingnews, Quotidiano Sportivo, ProCyclingStats