Giro d’Italia, Groves wins the fifth stage. Rain and falls, Evenepoel ends up on the ground twice

SALERNO – Total chaos in the final stage of the Giro. Due to the rain and the wet asphalt, the fraction of Salerno is a dripping of falls. Especially Remco Evenepoel paid the price, ended up on the asphalt twice in a very unfortunate day, opened by a carom caused by a dog in Irpinia and closed by a slide at 60 hours while the sprint was about to be launched. Luckily for the world champion, the second accident occurred within the last 3 km: this allowed him to enjoy the neutralization of the gaps and to reach the finish line without apparent physical damage. The runner in the hospital for tests. “One scupolo,” says the team, “should be okay.” Stage success, the first ever in the Giro, for the Australian Kaden Groves (Alpecin-Deceuninck) on Jonathan Milan, Mads Pedersen and Alberto Dainese.

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Chronicle and falls

A lot of rain and many involuntary emotions in one of the simplest stages of the Giro on paper, the fifth from Atripalda to Salerno. A dog, 150 km from the finish line, first knocks Ballerini down and then, at carom, also Remco Evenepoel. The former pink jersey doesn’t get up early, more frightened than in pain, while a spectator takes advantage of the agitated phases to take away his water bottle. Then the Belgian phenomenon returns to the rear of the group and everything seems to flow more simply, with the classic breakaway, this time in threes, launched towards the impossible: Gandin, Champion and Zoccarato keep the pace with a handful of minutes on the group. Of the three, Zoccarato (Bardiani) resisted the longest, only being resumed 7 km from the finish, when a first crash (also involving Roglic, without consequences) broke up the group. A second, more serious crash occurred 2700m from the end, when Evenepoel slipped heavily on the asphalt on the straight. The neutralization helps him not to waste time in the standings, but Remco quits very nervous and ends up in the hospital for some checks, even if the team swears: “Everything is fine, just one qualm”. A close drama even in the sprint: Cavendish loses control of the bike and falls. To avoid it, Vendrame ends up against the barriers and closes very badly. In short, a tuna trap from which Groves, 24 years old, who exploded this season emerges as the winner: two successes at Catalunya and Volta Limburg. Leknessund trembles from the falls but keeps the pink jersey. Almeida smiles bitterly: “Four hours of running today and I lost four years of life. It wasn’t fun at all.”