Kaden Groves won stage six of the Giro d’Italia on a day of heavy disruption, with GC contender Jai Hindley among several riders forced to abandon the race after a nasty crash.
Milan Fretin of Cofidis and Paul Magnier of Soudal Quick-Step rounded out the podium in Naples after the longest stage of this year’s a race, a 226km ride from Potenza.
A two-man breakaway of Enzo Paleni (Groupama-FDJ) and Taco van der Hoorn (Intermarche-Wanty) spent 192km at the front of the race and fought until the end, but were eventually swamped with just 2.5km remaining and a reduced bunch contested the sprint for the line.
The race was neutralised after a serious crash with 60km to go on wet, slippery roads, with 2022 winner Hindley, Intermarchy-Wanty’s Dion Smith and Alpecin-Deceuninck rider Juri Hollmann all abandoning as a result of their injuries.
Follow all the action with The Independent’s liveblog here:
Giro d'Italia stage 6 LIVE
- Longest stage of this year's race at 226km from Potenza to Napoli
- Another chance for pure sprinters before GC battle gets underway on Friday
- Pink jersey Mads Pedersen secured a hat-trick of wins on Wednesday's stage five
- 74km to go: serious crash causes race neutralisation as Jai Hindley and Juri Hollmann abandon
- Race temporarily stopped
- Stage six resumes after nasty crash and neutralisation
- Kaden Groves wins in Naples after chaotic sprint
Antonio Tiberi: 'Best decision' to neutralise stage
17:17 , Flo Clifford“Today was quite chaotic, with this huge crash,” Antonio Tiberi says at the finish. “In the end we stopped and they decided to neutralise the stage. I think it was the best decision becuase the risk was really high, also in the final because it was really wet. Now focus on tomorrow’s stage. [Looking forward to tomorrow?] For sure.”
General classification after stage six
17:11 , Flo CliffordNo changes to the GC as a result of the decision to neutralise every rider’s time.
1) Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek), in 20:11:44
2) Primoz Roglic (Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe) +17”
3) Mathias Vacek (Lidl-Trek) +24”
4) Brandon McNulty (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) +31”
5) Isaac del Toro (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) +32”
6) Juan Ayuso (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) +35”
7) Max Poole (Team Picnic PostNL)+43”
8) Antonio Tiberi (Bahrain Victorious) +44”
9) Michael Storer (Tudor Pro Cycling Team) +46”
Precautionary decision to take Jai Hindley to hospital
17:04 , Flo CliffordRed Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe sports director Patxi Vila tells TNT Sports that Hindley felt “a bit dizzy” and it was the race doctor who made the decision to take him to hospital, rather than the team doctor.
“I think it’s nothing really to worry [about], nothing broken,” he says.
“He was a very, very important man for us for the whole three weeks.
Matteo Moschetti relegated
16:58 , Flo CliffordUnsurprisingly, Matteo Moschetti has been relegated for barging Olav Kooij into the barriers during that sprint.
Here’s how the updated stage standings look now.
1) Kaden Groves (Alpecin - Deceuninck), in 4:59:52
2) Milan Fretin (Cofidis)
3) Paul Magnier (Soudal Quick-Step)
5) Giovanni Lonardi (Polti VisitMalta)
6) Maikel Zijlaard (Tudor Pro Cycling)
7) Martin Marcellusi (VF Group - Bardiani CSF - Faizane)
8) Luca Mozzato (Arkéa - B&B Hotels)
9) Matevz Govekar (Bahrain - Victorious)
10) Olav Kooij (Visma-Lease a Bike), all at same time
Alpecin take advantage of the chaos
16:52 , Flo Clifford“Once it started raining I felt quite a bit better, I’m quite good in the colder, wetter conditions,” Groves continues.
“For sure I had confidence in my team, I believe in them. It’s super nice to win here in Napoli, it’s an iconic city for sure, and as a sprinter, many [Giro] stages arrive here and it’s always a dream to win it.”
'Big relief' to win - Kaden Groves
16:45 , Flo CliffordKaden Groves is now a two-time Giro stage winner and he’s opened his account for 2025 today.
“Big relief, the team always believes in me and it’s not been a great start to the season, arrived here without a win so to get the first one is a big relief,” he says of his emotions after the finish.
“With these wet roads they’re quite slippery so knowing the cobbles starting around the 2km mark it’s super important to be in the front, but we also needed to use some guys early to chase, close the breakaway. They did a super ride. In the end I still had two teammates, Plowright and Planckaert did a super job, and luckily I could slip back a few places and launch the sprint early off the wheels.”
Jay Vine did not abandon
16:38 , Flo CliffordTurns out Jay Vine did not abandon... the graphic with his name was flashed up erroneously, apparently.
Mads Pedersen and his group have now crossed the line, some 10 minutes down, not that it matters with times neutralised. He remains 17 seconds ahead of Primoz Roglic.
Visma-Lease a Bike tactics strike again
16:32 , Flo CliffordA distinctly weird sprint from Visma. Wout van Aert moved back from way back, 15 or so wheels down, with Kooij on his wheel, and did a great job moving his sprinter up - but then launched as he reached the front, either to chase down Plowright and sprint himself, or start the leadout for Kooij.
But it was clearly way too early for Kooij and the Dutchman knocked off following van Aert, then got swamped in the group before having to restart the sprint properly. He looked decently well-positioned but was then squeezed into the barriers by Moschetti and had no chance from there.
Not too sure what van Aert had in mind there, especially after not being on top form in the race so far - did he think he had the legs to win? Didn’t look like it as he kept looking behind, presumably for Kooij.
Stage six results
16:28 , Flo Clifford1) Kaden Groves (Alpecin - Deceuninck)
2) Milan Fretin (Cofidis)
3) Paul Magnier (Soudal Quick-Step)
5) Giovanni Lonardi (Polti VisitMalta)
6) Maikel Zijlaard (Tudor Pro Cycling)
7) Martin Marcellusi (VF Group - Bardiani CSF - Faizane)
8) Matteo Moschetti (Q36.5 Pro Cycling)
9) Luca Mozzato (Arkéa - B&B Hotels)
Groves masterclass on stage six
16:24 , Flo CliffordWhat a day for Alpecin-Deceuninck, who controlled that really well, and Kaden Groves just had a phenomenal turn of speed.
Slightly weird tactics, though, with that early attack by Plowright. Did they know van Aert would chase him down, leaving Kooij forced to wheel-surf?
Either way it allowed Groves to come into the centre and power away. Replays show Matteo Moschetti of Q36.5 squeezed Kooij into the barriers in the final sprint - wouldn’t be surprised if there’s a relegation incoming there.
Kaden Groves wins stage six!
16:20 , Flo CliffordVan Aert is caught and the sprinters hit the front - Kooij is well positioned but it’s Kaden Groves who powers away and wins!
Plowright attacks!
16:19 , Flo CliffordPlowright goes very, very long - Wout van Aert drops Kooij to chase him but now rides past!
Sprinters ready (1km to go)
16:18 , Flo CliffordAlpecin have been on the front for most of the last 10km but Decathlon now do a turn.
Fretin, Zijlaard, and more sprinters are up to the front. Kooij is further back but has van Aert to move him up.
Catch made (2.6km to go)
16:17 , Flo CliffordThat’s so disappointing. It looked like the breakaway’s days were numbered but having a load of clowns run across the road didn’t help, as Taco van der Hoorn lost the wheel and looked disrupted.
We’re set for a sprint finish.
3km to go
16:16 , Flo CliffordThis looks like it could be curtains for the breakaway. 12 seconds of a gap with 3km to go and they can see the breakaway.
Some idiots run across the road, protesting something, and it looks to have disrupted both the breakaway and the peloton.
Gap crumbling (5km to go)
16:14 , Flo CliffordThe approach to the finish line suits the breakaway, with the peloton taking these corners quite gingerly, but the gap is falling now to 22 seconds. The breakaway need to stick at this.
Could the breakaway cling on? (7km to go)
16:12 , Flo CliffordThe gap is at 28 seconds now... can van der Hoorn and Paleni start dreaming?
They are absolutely flooring it. Sean Kelly on TNT Sports comms reckons they can do it.
Chase still on (10km to go)
16:08 , Flo CliffordAlpecin-Deceuninck have dragged the breakaway back to within 23 seconds. Olav Kooij is very prominent in this group. He won in Naples last year and fancies doubling up.
Pedersen and large group drop back (19km to go)
15:59 , Flo CliffordA peloton including Olav Kooij are still chasing the breakaway and will contest the stage win; they’re still 30 seconds behind the escapees.
But Mads Pedersen and another group have dropped back and are already three minutes down. With times not taken at the finish they’ve elected to take it easy and avoid the chaos of the sprint finish.
Jay Vine abandons (28km to go)
15:49 , Flo CliffordHuge news as Jay Vine (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) is the latest to officially abandon the race. It’s a second crash in six days for Vine who has had a terrible run of crashes throughout his career and must be thinking he can’t catch a break. Fingers crossed he is back as quickly as possible.
Suspected concussion for Hindley
15:44 , Flo CliffordJai Hindley has been taken to hospital to be checked for a head injury and suspected concussion, according to Italian TV.
Juri Hollmann has also been taken to hospital, his team have confirmed, with a suspected broken arm.
Our rider @JuriHollmann suffered a heavy crash at the @giroditalia and has been taken to hospital in Napoli. A broken arm is feared. We keep you updated as soon as we know more.
— Alpecin-Deceuninck Cycling Team (@AlpecinDCK) May 15, 2025
📸 archive @PhotoNewsBe #AlpecinDeceuninck pic.twitter.com/hYIem2Kp7L
Dion Smith abandons
15:40 , Flo CliffordIntermarche-Wanty’s Dion Smith is the third to abandon as a result of that crash. We wish him, Hollmann and Hindley a speedy recovery.
Paleni and van der Hoorn still lead (36km to go)
15:39 , Flo CliffordThe breakaway still have 40 seconds on the bunch and they’re still giving this a good go.
The peloton take a left-hand corner very gingerly, as you’d expect.
Cerny well enough to continue
15:27 , Flo CliffordMore encouraging news: Josef Cerny (Soudal-QuickStep) was announced as an abandon but in fact just received some medical treatment and continued on.
No points or bonuses to be awarded
15:21 , Flo CliffordSo no sprint points for the ciclamino jersey standings or bonus seconds, and everyone will be awarded the same time as the winner.
No points or bonuses to be awarded
15:20 , Flo CliffordPaleni and van der Hoorn cross the Red Bull kilometre but news just in that no time bonuses or points will be awarded for the stage after that crash.
So all the points up until that point will stand, but there are none awarded for the Red Bull KM and there won’t be any at the finish either, with GC times to be neutralised.
Hollmann abandons
15:18 , Flo CliffordJuri Hollmann of Alpecin-Deceuninck has also abandoned the race.
Rain again (54km to go)
15:17 , Flo CliffordThe rain has restarted too, not ideal as the riders crossed some more paved roads.
Paleni and van der Hoorn were allowed a 55-second gap but the bunch are pretty keen on chasing them down now. Visma are back on the front, with Picnic PostNL and Ineos well-represented too.
Race resumed (59km to go)
15:12 , Flo CliffordDries de Bondt (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale) is the first to get moving and there’s a bit of a wait for the whole peloton to start pedalling and come back together.
Today’s sprint finish might be even more jittery after that unpleasant interlude.
Red Bull and Soudal-Quick Step are the worst affected from that crash, with 2022 Giro winner Jai Hindley and Josef Cerny forced to abandon.
Race resumed (59.8km to go)
15:11 , Flo CliffordThe decision has been made to restart, on the outskarts of Nola, with a little under 60km left to race.
The breakaway are allowed up the road and the peloton are all ready to go.
Race stopped
15:10 , Flo CliffordFormer Giro winner Vincenzo Nibali is also part of the discussions.
It’s evident that not all the riders are keen to proceed.
Race stopped
15:07 , Flo CliffordWhen and if the race restarts the breakaway of Paleni and van der Hoorn will be allowed to get up the road to re-establish their original gap, which was around 45 seconds at the time of the neutralisation.
The race directors and UCI commissaires are in conversation at the side of the road to establish what’s going to happen.
Derek Gee is another one of the riders who fell, with part of his skinsuit on his right thigh shredded away. Lots of the riders are dropping the pressure on their tyres to get a bit more grip on these roads - although fortunately they look drier now.
Race temporarily stopped
15:04 , Flo CliffordA few different riders, including Roglic, have been in conversation with the race director’s car and there’s now a flag waved to indicate the race will stop, at least for now.
Cerny, Hindley abandon
15:00 , Flo CliffordConfirmation that Jai Hindley has abandoned the race. Awful news.
Paul Magnier also hit the deck pretty hard, and now his teammate Josef Cerny looks in a bad way. He’s come to a halt at the side of the road and is helped into an ambulance too - another abandon.
Fingers crossed everyone is on the mend smoothly.
Race neutralised
14:58 , Flo CliffordHindley looked to be one of the first to go down at the front of the bunch, slipping on the wet roads and setting off a domino effect, while at the back there was a separate series of crashes too.
Nasty crash in the bunch, race neutralised (71km to go)
14:56 , Flo CliffordTwo crashes in quick succession on some incredibly slippy roads and the race is neutralised as a result.
Richard Carapaz has hit the deck really hard; his skinsuit is all scraped off across his right shoulderblade.
Jai Hindley is down and is helped into an ambulance - fingers crossed that it’s not as severe as it seems. Primoz Roglic has been in discussion with the race director’s car.
💥 Massive crash in the peloton, with many riders involved, including @RichardCarapazM, Jai Hindley, @PaulMagnier1 and others.
— Giro d'Italia (@giroditalia) May 15, 2025
The race is neutralized for the moment, we'll provide updates as soon as we can. #GirodItalia pic.twitter.com/tZMaNvGIwO
Pink jersey problems (71km to go)
14:43 , Flo CliffordOn TNT Sports, Rob Hatch and Adam Blythe are debating whether it’s worth the hassle of keeping the maglia rosa today, with a lengthy transfer to tomorrow’s start in Castel di Sangro and a procession post-stage today - including a military escort - to a battleship off the coast at Naples to meet some political bigwigs.
Rumour has it Giorgia Meloni might even be there - she was in Naples earlier to announce that Italy will host the Americas Cup for the first time in 2027.
Bet Primoz Roglic is glad he can just get out of his wet gear and wind down ahead of tomorrow’s big stage.
Fortunato extends KOM lead (77km to go)
14:37 , Flo CliffordNice moment as a Tudor rider - not quite sure who - shoots off the front for a hug with a spectator, a family member or friend who’s made the trip to the roadside.
Paleni takes the points again from Van der Hoorn, while in the bunch Fortunato accelerates briefly to take two more KOM points at the top to add to his lead.
Onto the final climb (84km to go)
14:27 , Flo CliffordA couple of riders punctured on the paved streets of Avellino, including Wout van Aert, but they’re all back together now.
Onto the day’s second categorised climb, the cat 3 Monteforte Irpino, with 3km to the top.
Lorenzo Fortunato dropped back to the bunch after picking up those earlier KOM points but he’s back in a prominent position now.
Breakaway lead falling (94km to go)
14:12 , Flo CliffordZana needs a bike change too after that crash. Neither he nor Hamilton look hurt thankfully.
We hear on TNT Sports comms that it’s not currently raining in Naples, but there’s still a long way to go before we get there and it’s pretty wet in Avellino, the ancient city in Campania that the peloton is currently passing through.
Steven Kruijswijk is on the front for Visma, doing a sterling job, and the breakaway’s lead is down to 1:40 or so.
Crash! (102km to go)
14:05 , Flo CliffordIt felt inevitable on these wet, slippery roads. Ineos Grenadiers’ Lucas Hamilton and Jayco AlUla’s Filippo Zana slide out on a descent.
Zana is up and running quickly and after a bike change Hamilton gingerly pedals away too.
Gap steady (106km to go)
13:58 , Flo CliffordIt’s as you were as the kilometres tick by. We’re over halfway through but there’s still 106km to go. The peloton are two minutes behind the pair of escapees, with Alpecin and Visma continuing to pull in the bunch.
Today’s stage is quite the slog but go back a hundred years and it was a lot worse. Stage 6 of the 1914 edition lasted for 19 hours and 20minutes, with the riders setting off at midnight to ride 428km from Bari to L’Aquila.
Luigi Natale Lucotti won that one, although I’m sure anyone can be said to have truly won, having endured that experience.
Giro-fever reaches Monaco
13:21 , Flo CliffordPrince Albert II of Monaco has been getting in on the Giro action too, picking up a jersey in Pompeii earlier today.
Scenery check
13:14 , Flo CliffordAnother day, more stunning Italian scenery.
Paleni wins intermediate sprint (137km to go)
13:07 , Flo CliffordNo drama here either as Paleni rolls over the sprint at Lioni ahead of van der Hoorn, neither bothered about the result. 12 and eight points for them respectively.
There’s more of a fight behind: Pedersen opens up his sprint early and looks to have the beating of Kooij and Jensen Plowright, but he knocks it off too early and Plowright hops round him for five points, with Kooij putting in a late dig for three to shave off two off Pedersen’s lead. The pink jersey mops up the last one.
Intermediate sprint approaching (139km to go)
13:01 , Flo CliffordOne kilometre until the second intermediate sprint of the day. Pedersen leads the points standings with 140 points; Olav Kooij is second on 52, so even without a win today (worth 50 points) Pedersen is in the clear.
Alpecin move forward (141km to go)
12:56 , Flo CliffordAlpecin-Deceuninck move forward to help out Visma-Lease a Bike, with Jimmy Janssens now setting the pace. They’ll be teeing up Kaden Groves for the sprint.
Primoz Roglic is having an easy day of it, sheltered in a phalanx of Red Bull riders, all wearing rain jackets helpfully emblazoned with their sponsors’ names so they’re easy to spot. The Slovenian gives the camera a smile and a wave. He’s looked incredibly relaxed this whole race so far.
Bit of a lull in proceedings as the riders take on some fuel.
Fortunato drops back (147km to go)
12:47 , Flo CliffordWhat could make the Giro’s longest stage more fun, than some rain. The heavens have opened already.
Fortunato may have something wrong with his bike as he calls for help from the neutral service car, but it looks like his day is done anyway after picking up 18 points on the day’s biggest climb. He drops back and is waiting to be absorbed by the peloton while his former breakaway companions press on.
Visma aren’t making big inroads into this lead, as it stabilises around the 3:15 mark.
Onto the descent (160km to go)
12:33 , Flo CliffordRain jackets are on in the bunch: the temperatures are much fresher than they have been and the surrounding hills are swathed in cloud. There have been spots of rain so far but it could be a fair bit damper in Naples.
Visma-Lease a Bike are leading the peloton on another long, sweeping descent.
Fortunato takes KOM points (168km to go)
12:24 , Flo CliffordHarmony in the breakaway as Lorenzo Fortunato rolls over the climb unchallenged, taking 18 points, followed by Van der Hoorn and Paleni.
Behind them Visma-Lease a Bike are on the front chasing, three minutes down. Incidentally, Fortunato as it stands is in the virtual lead, although I doubt he expects that state of affairs to continue.
'I know my limits' - Mads Pedersen
12:16 , Flo CliffordThe pink jersey had a quick chat with TNT Sports at the start line.
The interviewer suggested today could be his final outing in the maglia rosa but Pedersen is swift to say, “I think tomorrow will be the last day,” referring to stage seven’s hefty day of climbing.
“I’m pretty sure [it will be], it’s a mountain-top finish. I know my limits and they’re tomorrow for sure!”
Fortunato makes the catch (175km to go)
12:09 , Flo CliffordTaco van der Hoorn seems happy to see Fortunato as the KOM jersey bridges across to the leading pair and they have a quick chat. Dividing up the KOM points? Maybe.
They have 4:30 on the bunch as the sprinters’ teams go at a sedate pace to look after their main men.
A little over 5km to the top of the climb.
Pink Pedersen adds to points advantage (180km to go)
12:02 , Flo CliffordPaleni takes the maximum 12 points at the sprint ahead of van der Hoorn, then Fortunato and Hamilton.
The maglia rosa pops off the front to nick the last remaining point at the intermediate sprint, but doesn’t need to try very hard as no-one counters.
Replays show Fortunato wasn’t very impressed with Hamilton’s effort as the gradients increased so decided to just drop him. Fair enough.
Hamilton dropped (182km to go)
11:55 , Flo CliffordThe chasing pair drag out a good minute and a half gap on the peloton but that’s when Fortunato decides to up sticks and abandon his companion.
Still over 12km until the top of the climb but Fortunato has got some real spring in his step. He’s 2:07 behind the duo out front and 4:40 ahead of the peloton now.
Visma-Lease a Bike have been making a nuisance of themselves on the front of the bunch, preventing anyone else getting away. The riders fan out across the road with Lidl-Trek and all-pink Mads Pedersen glued to the front.
Another counter-attack (184km to go)
11:49 , Flo CliffordLucas Hamilton, who was in one of the earlier counter-attacks makes another dig and the all-blue figure of Lorenzo Fortunato latches onto his wheel.
The XDS-Astana man no doubt fancies stealing a march on the bunch for the KOM points on offer at the top of the cat two.
Break set? (187km to go)
11:42 , Flo CliffordEnzo Paleni (Groupama FDJ) and Taco van der Hoorn (Intermarche-Wanty) are the next two to attack and maybe because it’s a much smaller move, they’re given a bit more leeway.
They have just over two minutes on the bunch as it stands and they’re onto the day’s first categorised climb, a long old slog up to Valico di Monte Carruozzo.
There’s 3km until the first intermediate sprint of the day, at Muro Lucano, where these two will nab the most points.
Key points today
11:36 , Flo CliffordStage six’s intermediate sprints are at the 42.5km mark and the 88.4km mark, at Muro Lucano and Lioni respectively - the first is on the lower slopes of the first categorised climb, which could make things interesting, while the second is on a short uphill kick.
Today’s categorised climbs are a cat 3 at Valico di Monte Carruozzo, 19.9km ranging from 3.8 to 11%, in the opening 60km; and Monteforte Irpino, 145km into proceedings and a more manageable cat 2.
The Red Bull kilometre is at Brusciano, on the flat 50km from the finish.
All back together (197km to go)
11:30 , Flo CliffordAll those moves and counter-moves have resulted in the bunch catching all the escapees. Ben Turner stopped working in the front group to allow Josh Tarling’s group to catch on, but it’s all fallen apart.
Groupama-FDJ are next to try something.
Tarling leads counter-attack (205km to go)
11:24 , Flo CliffordJosh Tarling goes again! He launches off the front on another long descent, taking a group of four with him: teammate Lucas Hamilton, Red Bull’s Jan Tratnik, Davide Formolo and the white jersey of Mathias Vacek.
Now Wout van Aert attacks from the bunch, but knocks it off quickly under pressure.
Counter-attack behind (209km to go)
11:16 , Flo CliffordGroupama - FDJ’s Lorenzo Germani counter-attacks on this long descent and is making up some serious ground; he’s only ten seconds or so off the pace and is bombing down these roads.
The peloton dropped to a minute behind the attackers but are now at a little over 30 seconds again, so this breakaway is by no means the definite article yet.
KOM attacks (218km to go)
11:08 , Flo CliffordLorenzo Fortunato (XDS-Astana), in the blue jersey of the king of the mountains leader, is the next to attack. Manuele Tarrozzi, Felix Engelhardt, Josef Cerny, Michel Ries and Ben Turner go with him - Ineos are clearly up for this, with first Tarling and now Turner livening things up.
At the other end of the bunch, Q36.5’s sprint prospect Matteo Moschetti was dropped on the uncategorised bump that kicked proceedings off, but he should get back on on these long, sweeping downhills. It’s all very scenic.
30 seconds between the escapees and the bunch at this point.
Tarling leads attack (223km to go)
11:01 , Flo CliffordIt looks like that move is about to be caught but Tarling - wearing a Geraint Thomas-esque pair of white shades - presses on. But no, all back together now.
Flag drop!
10:56 , Flo CliffordAfter almost 10km of neutralised rollout the race director waves his flag and away we go.
And Josh Tarling fancies getting up the road! He’s joined by six or seven others.
'Dream' to take the jersey - Max Poole
10:49 , Flo CliffordQuick word from young Brit Max Poole, who’s had a brilliant start to his Giro and currently sits seventh overall.
His Picnic PostNL squad sprung the surprise of the week with a superb late lead-out for their sprinter Casper van Uden, who won stage four and is one of the favourites for today’s stage.
“We’ve just gelled well as a group, we know how we tick and we’re riding well together so far,” Poole says at the start.
“If we’re there then we’ll try and help him until the finish. It was a really good job what the guys did the other day when Casper won, he’s shown he’s one of the fastest and I think the win really helped him give himself the confidence.
“If we can bring him to a good spot he’s always going to do well,” he adds.
The 22-year-old has a strong chance of a stage win himself on the climbing-heavy stage seven, but downplays his chances. “I think everybody wants to take the jersey! It’s important to stay focused, it would be a dream. You have to drop everybody, that’s what Mads is doing so far!”
Wout van Aert in the mix today?
10:42 , Flo CliffordBelgian superstar Wout van Aert has looked subpar by his own high standards at this year’s race, having been ill in the week leading up to it, and hasn’t played quite as big a role in Olav Kooij’s support train for the sprints as we might have expected.
He sounds a bit more chipper at the start line in Potenza, saying, “I’m feeling good, felt a bit of improvement in the legs yesterday so I was happy with that.
“My plan is to be the last man for Olav, hope to be in the mix this time. Would be nice if we can make it a good opportunity for him. Olav won on the same finish last year so we did our homework [reconning the stage].
Pidcock's drought continues, but signs are promising
10:35 , Flo CliffordTom Pidcock had targeted the uphill finish on stage five and narrowly missed out on the win, ultimately finishing third.
While he looked disappointment after the stage, his form and confidence are clearly there, and he more than challenged Pedersen, in theory a much better sprinter than the Brit.
“It came a bit fast [the last climb] and I was a bit far back, at that point I just wanted to follow,” he said afterward. “I was thinking about maybe trying something over the top, that’s where you can probably make a different, but on the climb it was too short, really, everyone’s going at the same pace.”
There are plenty more stages on offer though that suit the Brit to a T.
Neutralised rollout
10:32 , Flo CliffordNearly 10km for the riders to roll out before the official flag drop, at around 10:55am BST.
Who is leading the Giro d’Italia? Maglia rosa and general classification standings
10:28 , Flo CliffordMads Pedersen now leads the general classification by 17 seconds ahead of Primoz Roglic, the overall race favourite, with Pedersen’s teammate - and leader of the best young rider standings - Mathias Vacek rounding out the podium, 24 seconds off the lead.
Who is leading the Giro d’Italia? Maglia rosa and general classification standings
General classification after stage five
10:21 , Flo Clifford1) Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek), in 15:11:52
2) Primoz Roglic (Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe) +17”
3) Mathias Vacek (Lidl-Trek) +24”
4) Brandon McNulty (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) +31”
5) Isaac del Toro (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) +32”
6) Juan Ayuso (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) +35”
7) Max Poole (Team Picnic PostNL)+43”
8) Antonio Tiberi (Bahrain Victorious) +44”
9) Michael Storer (Tudor Pro Cycling Team) +46”
10) Giulio Pellizzari (Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe) +50”
Stage five results
10:14 , Flo Clifford1) Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek), in 3:27:31
2) Edoardo Zambanini (Bahrain - Victorious)
3) Tom Pidcock (Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team)
5) Filippo Fiorelli (VF Group - Bardiani CSF - Faizane)
6) Michael Storer (Tudor Pro Cycling
7) Quentin Pacher (Groupama - FDJ)
8) Brandon Smith Rivera (INEOS Grenadiers)
9) Damiano Caruso (Bahrain - Victorious)
10) Isaac del Toro (UAE Team Emirates - XRG)
What is the Red Bull KM?
10:07 , Flo CliffordIntermediate sprints have had a bit of a rebrand at the Giro this year, with the energy giant Red Bull sponsoring a brand new Red Bull KM.
As well as regular intermediate sprints, which offer points for the ciclamino points classification, there will be a daily Red Bull KM on every road stage (so excluding the time trials on stages two and 10).
The Red Bull KM is the kilometre up to an intermediate sprint point, which awards six, four, and two bonus seconds to the first three riders over the line.
Those bonuses could be crucial in the battle for the overall win and add a little bit of extra intrigue to regular road stages.
Giro d’Italia 2025 stage-by-stage guide: Route maps and profiles for all 21 days
10:00 , Flo CliffordWant to get ahead on the action after stage five? Lawrence Ostlere has put together a handy stage-by-stage guide to this year’s race:
Giro d’Italia 2025 stage-by-stage guide: Route maps and profiles for all 21 days
Stage five
09:54 , Flo CliffordPedersen must be racking up quite the champagne cellar from all these wins.
Another win for Pedersen today?
09:49 , Flo CliffordPedersen has won in Napoli before, in the 2023 Giro, and he confirmed Lidl-Trek would be going for a fourth win of this year’s race today.
“Every day we try to win as much as possible and we try again tomorrow,” he said at the end of stage five’s post-race interview.
'More than I ever dreamt about' - Mads Pedersen
09:42 , Flo CliffordHere’s what stage winner and race leader Mads Pedersen had to say:
Asked if he thought he could win come the finale, Pedersen says, “Not at all, this was incredibly hard the last 20ks and I suffered a lot on the last climbs. it was a really tough one and I wasn’t sure [I could win].
“I knew that over the top when I was a bit behind I was still in a group fighting for the win, but I had a really hard time there and used a lot of energy to move back up onto Vacek’s wheel. Luckily I had enough for the last sprint.
“It’s really incredible and to win in this jersey is insane, it’s way more than I ever dreamt about. What a Giro we have and what a team I have around me.”
Stage five recap
09:35 , Flo CliffordRace leader Mads Pedersen claimed another victory after a photo finish on stage five of the Giro d'Italia in Matera.
Lidl-Trek rider Pedersen took his third stage win of this year's race after a late charge over the closing kilometre to edge out Edoardo Zambanini, with Britain's Tom Pidcock given third place for Q36.5 Pro Cycling.
Giro d’Italia leader Mads Pedersen sprints to victory on stage five
Key moments of today's stage
09:28 , Flo CliffordWith the climbs so early on - following the route’s trend this year of putting much of its serious climbing way before the finish - it feels unlikely that either the category two or three ascent today will do much damage.
Expect to see the peloton all back together well in advance of the finish line and the sprinters’ teams controlling proceedings.
Today’s Red Bull kilometre is on the flat, though, rather than uphill as it has been for the last couple of road stages, so that could change the dynamic if the sprinters or the GC contenders want to fight for the six, four and two bonus seconds on offer. That comes with around 50km remaining at Brusciano.
Stage six map and route profile
09:21 , Flo Clifford
How to watch
09:14 , Flo CliffordViewers in the UK can watch the Giro d’Italia on TNT Sports and discovery+.
Coverage starts at 10.15am BST, with the stage set to get underway at 10.50am BST.
Giro d'Italia stage six preview
09:07 , Flo CliffordThere’s a very hilly start to proceedings with an unmarked climb of the the Valico di Monte Romito in the start town of Potenza, and from there it’s up and down for much of the day, but the course profile levels off with 60km to go and this should be the finale to a trilogy of stages for the fast men this week.
For those bored of them, good news - Friday’s stage seven has been earmarked by many as the day the fight for the maglia rosa really begins.
Thursday first, though: the first categorised climb of the day is 40km in, and it’s a long, 19.9km category 2 climb - the longest of the race so far - to Valco di Monte Carruozzo, hitting highs of 11%.
From there the sprinters can recover over a largely rolling 50km before a category 3 ascent to Monteforte Irpino with 83km remaining.
Good morning
Wednesday 14 May 2025 18:59 , Flo CliffordHello and welcome to live coverage of stage six of the Giro d’Italia!
It’s a behemoth today: 226km from Potenza to Napoli, the longest stage of the race, with both a feast of climbing and a likely sprint finish on the menu.
