Constant rain, cold and even hail showers: the 5th stage of the Giro d'Italia is a real test of endurance for the professional cyclists - and produces a surprising winner in Spaniard Igor Arrieta.
13.05.2026, 18:48
13.05.2026, 19:01
SDA
Another reason for joy for the UAE Emirates team, which has been badly hit by crashes: one day after Jhonatan Narvaez's sprint victory, a teammate of Swiss rider Jan Christen strikes again on Wednesday. After a bizarre finale, Igor Arrieta won the 203 km long 5th stage from Praia a Mare to Potenza. In nasty conditions, the Spaniard won the sprint against his equally exhausted escape companion Alfonso Eulalio from Portugal.
Two crashes in the final
Arrieta's only second victory as a professional, his first at World Tour level, was hard to beat in terms of drama. The 24-year-old Basque rider and Eulalio led the race, which was characterized by heavy rain and hail, for a long time after an attack from a 13-man breakaway group.
With 13.5 km to go, Arrieta crashed on a descent and the path to victory seemed clear for Eulalio. But then the Portuguese rider also fell 6.5 km before the finish and Arrieta was able to catch up again - before the Spaniard slowed down two kilometers before the finish and took a wrong turn. Despite the mishap, Arrieta overtook Eulalio just a few meters before the finish and celebrated his biggest career victory.
Leader's jersey as a "consolation prize"
Eulalio, who was defeated in the sprint, was able to "console" himself with the Maglia Rosa, which changed hands again after just one day on the shoulders of the Italian Giulio Ciccone. The previous leader in the overall classification reached the finish more than seven minutes after the winner with the peloton. With a gap of 2:51 minutes, Arrieta is now second overall. Jan Christen is the best Swiss rider in 7th place, 6:16 minutes behind the winner.
Before the first tough mountain finish on Friday, the sprinters will get another chance on Thursday on the 141 km long section from Paestum to Naples.
