A slightly hilly run-up with a flat finish. This is how the 5th stage of the Giro was announced in advance. Right up the street for the sprinters. The assignment for Remco Evenepoel was therefore clear: stay out of the crowd and enter the peloton calmly.
But that plan fell into the water after only a few kilometers. Literally, because the water poured with buckets from the sky in Italy. After 25 kilometres, Evenepoel hit the ground for the first time due to a stray dog. The world champion was clearly shaken, but licked his wounds and crawled back onto the bike. Fortunately, the damage seemed to be not too bad, as Evenepoel illustrated with a significant thumb.
In all the chaos, four adventurers, including mountain king Thibaut Pinot, escaped. They also had a hard time with the slippery road surface, because they also made a tumble in the breakaway. Despite all the good intentions, the peloton kept the leash taut and the escapees never qualified for the stage victory.
Just over 6 kilometers from the end they fell again, in one of the last corners. Only about 30 riders could avoid the misery. Primoz Roglic had to chase and got back in front just in time, just like later winner Kaden Groves.
Evenepoel could have avoided a fall this time, but moments later the world champion made a second slide. To the great frustration of Evenepoel himself, who gesticulated wildly at the support car. Fortunately for the Soudal-Quick Step leader, it all happened within the last 3 kilometers and he doesn’t get any precious seconds lost.
Kaden Groves was the first to cross the finish line in the heavily disrupted sprint. The Australian started early from the front and kept up his effort until the finish. Groves eventually had a wheel ahead of Jonathan Milan. Mads Pedersen was third on the podium. In the background, Mark Cavendish also crashed spectacularly. “Perpetrator” Alberto Dainese was subsequently declassified.
