Seff Van Kerckhove wins the 2026 Giro della Lunigiana

Seff Van Kerckhove (Belgium) has won the general classification of the 2026 Giro della Lunigiana. The Belgian rider finished the race with a time of 04:50:36, ahead of Austria's Michael Hettegger by two seconds and his compatriot Vic De Smet by three seconds.The final classificationSeff Van Kerckhove (Belgium) — 04:50:36Michael Hettegger (Austria) +04:50:38Vic De Smet (Belgium) +04:50:39Patrik Pezzo Rosola (—) +04:50:54Luca Gugnino (—) +04:50:57The margin between first and third place is just three seconds. The standings were decided by minimal gaps, with Hettegger and De Smet staying in direct contact with the winner until the final stage. Pezzo Rosola, fourth, concedes 18 seconds; Gugnino, fifth, 21 seconds.Van Kerckhove managed the race without giving any room to his direct rivals in the decisive phases. Controlling his position in the bunch and his strength on the route's climbs allowed the Belgian to defend the advantage he had built up, fending off the comeback attempts of Hettegger and De Smet.For the Belgian team it is a significant result: two riders in the top three of the general classification, with De Smet completing the podium one second behind Hettegger. The Giro della Lunigiana confirms its nature as a race decided by narrow margins, where consistency in the intermediate stages counts as much as placing in the concluding stages.Van Kerckhove takes his place in the race's roll of honour and brings home the final leader's jersey at the end of a week raced on tight margins. The general classification remains the summary of a balanced competition, closed with three riders separated by three seconds.