Strong rode a patient, opportunistic race, letting rival teams animate the brutal finale before NSN committed in the final kilometres. Sheehan delivered him to the front for the uphill drag and Strong launched first, holding his line as Magnier faded and Foldager surged. It was the New Zealander's first win of 2026 and a statement that his fast, punchy finish travels to rising finishes, not just flat sprints.

• 0.2 kmBrought up by Riley Sheehan and launched first on the uphill finish, holding off Foldager and Magnier

Strong closed his three weeks with another front-of-race finish, 8th in the Rome sprint — a consistent, combative Giro for the New Zealander and his NSN ProTeam, even if the marquee win never quite came.

• 8th in the Rome bunch sprint

Strong was active in the finale, featuring in the mix over the Muro di Ca' del Poggio alongside the GC group and attackers before the regroup. He held position into the bunch sprint and rounded out the top five, a solid result on a punchy finishing circuit that suited his all-round qualities.

• In the mix on the Muro di Ca' del Poggio with the front selection before the regroup
• Sprinted to fifth in the bunch finish

Strong saved his best for the finale. Present in the decisive groups across the hilly closing stages, he was the fastest of the chasers behind the soloing L'Hote on the run into Le Mans, taking second on the stage. The placing and his week-long consistency lifted him onto the final GC podium in third at 18 seconds — a reward for an opportunistic, front-of-race ride rather than a single big move.

• 2nd on the line behind L'Hote's solo, securing 3rd overall

Strong was the more consistent half of NSN's two-pronged week, working in support of Ethan Vernon's sprints while keeping himself in GC contention. He was sixth on the flat opener and present in the front group on the hilly stage, then produced his best day on the finale into Le Mans, finishing second behind the soloing L'Hote. That runner-up stage placing, combined with a week without losing time on the GC favourites, lifted him to third overall at 18 seconds — a podium that fit his 2026 profile of always being in the right move without quite landing the marquee win.

• 2nd on the final stage in Le Mans behind L'Hote's solo, sealing 3rd overall