Davide Ballerini (XDS Astana) charged to victory on stage six of the Giro d'Italia on Thursday, after the sprint favourites slid out on a bend inside 400m to go in Napoli.
Unibet Rose Rockets led into the final corner, a U-turn on lightly rain-soaked cobbles, where their sprinter Dylan Groenewegen and his lead-out man Elmar Reinders crashed. Jonathan Milan (Lidl-Trek), Paul Magnier (Soudal Quick-Step) and Tobias Lund Andresen (Decathlon CMA CGM) were all caught up behind.
Ballerini emerged unscathed out of the melee and into the city's Piazza del Plebiscito, where he powered to his first stage win at the Giro, the Italian's home Grand Tour.
"Today was not on the plan," Ballerini said afterwards. "Today our sprinter was [Matteo] Malucelli – I was trying to do the maximum for him. But when we arrived on the last corner, I saw that the first two guys had a crash.
"I just exited from the corner, and I heard on the radio 'Go! Go! Go! To the finish! There is a gap!' I just started, and I was hoping the line would come really fast. I made it. I’m really happy.”
Jasper Stuyven placed second on the stage, ahead of his Soudal Quick-Step team-mate Paul Magnier, who came to a halt behind the fallen Groenewegen, but managed to recover quickly.
Groenewegen appeared uninjured after the finish, where he spoke to TNT Sports, and lamented his "bad luck".
"It was a bit slippery, I think," said the Dutchman, who crossed the line 158th. "We did an amazing job, and a crash can happen in a sprint."
Milan, a two-time Giro points classification winner still looking for a victory in this edition, was riding five places behind Groenewegen when the crash occurred. Though the Italian didn't fall to the ground himself, he unclipped from his pedals, skidded across the cobbles, and struck the rear wheel of Magnier.
Also speaking to TNT Sports, Milan criticised the course design in Napoli, which brought two hard turns in the last kilometre.
"I really don’t get why we have to try to find this complicated finish," the Lidl-Trek rider said. "For sure, we could think that it would rain, and maybe it could be safe to just go straight like some years ago [when the race finished in Napoli]. But no, with two drops of water, we get a huge mess."
In reference to the Rockets riders who crashed in front of him, he said: "It's not their fault."
The general classification remains unchanged at the Giro, with Afonso Eulálio (Bahrain Victorious) continuing to lead by two minutes and 51 seconds ahead of stage five winner Igor Arrieta (UAE Team Emirates-XRG).
Friday will bring the race's first summit finish: a 244km stage to Blockhaus in the Abruzzo Apennines.
Results
Giro d'Italia, stage six: Paestum > Napoli (144km)
1. Davide Ballerini (Ita) XDS Astana, in 3:19:30
2. Jasper Stuyven (Bel) Soudal Quick-Step
3. Paul Magnier (Fra) Soudal Quick-Step
4. Jensen Plowright (Aus) Alpecin-Premier Tech
5. Ben Turner (GBr) Netcompany-Ineos
6. Alec Segaert (Bel) Bahrain Victorious
7. Luca Mozzato (Ita) Tudor Pro Cycling
8. Filippo Magli (Ita) Bardiani CSF 7 Saber
9. Enrico Zanoncello (Ita) Bardiani CSF 7 Saber
10. Casper van Uden (Ned) Picnic PostNL Raisin, all at same time
General classification after stage six
1. Afonso Eulálio (Por) Bahrain Victorious, in 24:47:13
2. Igor Arrieta (Esp) UAE Team Emirates-XRG, +2:51
3. Christian Scaroni (Ita) XDS Astana, +3:34
4. Andrea Raccagni Noviero (Ita) Soudal Quick-Step, +3:39
5. Johannes Kulset (Nor) Uno-X Mobility, +5:17
6. Giulio Ciccone (Ita) Lidl-Trek, + 6:12
7. Jan Christen (Sui) UAE Team Emirates-XRG, +6:16
8. Florian Stork (Ger) Tudor Pro Cycling
9. Egan Bernal (Col) Netcompany-Ineos, both at same time
10. Thymen Arensmen (Ned) Netcompany-Ineos, +6:18
