In a dramatic finish to stage six of the Giro d'Italia, Italy's Davide Ballerini seized victory in Naples after a crash on the final cobbled sector took out several top contenders. The 31-year-old, who previously rode alongside Mark Cavendish on XDS-Astana, navigated the chaos with precision to claim his first Grand Tour stage win.
The stage took a chaotic turn as rain began to fall, slickening the cobbled streets just as the peloton prepared for a bunch sprint. On a tight right-hand corner, four riders hit the deck in what commentators described as a classic "domino effect"—where bikes seem to slide out from under riders without contact, likely caused by sudden braking on the wet surface. Dutch sprinter Dylan Groenwegen and teammate Elmar Reinders of Unibet Rose Rockets went down first, followed by Venezuela's Orluis Aular of Movistar and Norway's Tobias Lund Andresen of Decathlon-CMA CGM. The pile-up took out key contenders including France's Paul Magnier and Italy's Jonathan Milan, leaving the sprint wide open.
Ballerini, positioned on the inside of the corner, slipped through the mess of tangled bikes and riders. He powered up the final hill to the finish line, holding off Belgium's Jasper Stuyven of Soudal-Quick Step in a thrilling finish. Stuyven's teammate Magnier, who retains the ciclamino points jersey, recovered to take third, while British sprinters Ben Turner of Netcompany Ineos Cycling finished fifth and Ethan Vernon of NSN Cycling placed 19th after being caught up in the crash.
Portugal's Afonso Eulalio of Bahrain-Victorious kept the overall leader's pink jersey, thanks to the rule that protects riders' times if they crash within five kilometers of the finish. He eased off before the line, safe in the knowledge his lead remained intact. Meanwhile, Denmark's Jonas Vingegaard of Visma-Lease a Bike, the two-time Tour de France winner and overwhelming favorite for the overall win on May 31 in Rome, still sits six minutes and 22 seconds behind. But with the main contenders expected to make their move in Friday's stage, the race for the maglia rosa is far from over.