Before today, only Italy and Belgium had ever swept the podium in a single Giro d’Italia stage. For the Italians, it’s practically tradition – this is their race, after all. Belgium pulled it off during their golden era in the 1970s, when they racked up wins like clockwork. The last time it happened? Silvi Marina, 1978: a Flemish one-two-three with Rik Van Linden ahead of Roger De Vlaeminck and Alfons De Bal.

But today, in the 189 km from Alberobello to Lecce – Stage 4 of the 2025 Giro d’Italia – the Netherlands broke through that historic barrier, locking out the top three spots: Casper Van Uden (Picnic PostNL) outsprinted Olav Kooij (Visma | Lease a Bike) and Maikel Zijlaard (Tudor). While Kooij came in as the odds-on favorite, the other two delivered results that went well beyond expectations.

The day started in spectacular fashion. Not so much for the racing early on, but for the stunning scenery that unfolded along the route. Alberobello, bidding for 2027 Italian Capital of Culture with its Pietramadre project, greeted the Giro with its famous trulli and a river of pink-clad fans. They were treated to a bold, solo escape by Francisco Muñoz (Polti VisitMalta), who spent over 130 km off the front.

It wasn’t a smooth day for the Maglia Rosa Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek), who had to claw his way back to the bunch not once but twice – slowed down by crashes that narrowly missed him. One to watch: the condition of his teammate Søren Kragh Andersen, who looked visibly shaken. The finale into Lecce was a proper Grand Tour bunch sprint: fast, messy, and full of nerves.

In the end, it was Picnic PostNL who nailed it, with Bram Welten launching Van Uden to the biggest win of his young career. Born in 2001, Van Uden grew up playing tennis and hockey along with cycling – until he chose the latter because, in his words, “I always lost at the others, and I hate losing”. This might well be a real turning point for this athlete, and we might not have to wait long to find out. Tomorrow could already bring more answers.