With Cavendish and Ewan dropped, Démare scores on 2022 Giro’s last day in Sicily
105th edition heads to the mainland on Thursday
Arnaud Démare didn’t have to deal with Mark Cavendish and Caleb Ewan in Wednesday’s bunch sprint in Messina, Sicily, where the Frenchman scored his sixth career Giro d’Italia stage victory. Spaniard “Juanpe” Lopez kept the pink jersey.
The Course
The last day in Sicily began in Catania and finished in Messina 174 km later. A long, mild climb, Cat. 2 Portella Mandrazzi crested at almost the midway point.
A long climb before the halfway point of the 174km stage between Catania and Messina, but at the end of the day it should be another opportunity for the #Giro sprinters. pic.twitter.com/S7bonU9vC0
— Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl Team (@qst_alphavinyl) May 11, 2022
A breakaway containing Drone Hopper serial fugitives Filippo Tagliani and Mattia Bais broke loose soon after the start and climbed Portella Mandrazzi before getting absorbed by the peloton on the other side. Alpecin-Fenix’s work on Portella Mandrazzi spat Cavendish and Ewan out the back of the field. With Démare’s FDJ-Groupama, Giacomo Nizzolo’s Israel-Premier Tech and Fernando Gaviria’s UAE-Emirates pulling the peloton, Cavendish and Ewan wouldn’t make it back.
?The chase is over. The @qst_alphavinyl riders have given up.
?L'inseguimento è finito. La @qst_alphavinyl ha alzato bandiera bianca. #Giro pic.twitter.com/Is0cUYXilt
— Giro d'Italia (@giroditalia) May 11, 2022
The pace was torrid all day, and with the breakaway caught, the sprinters’ teams formed into colour blocks, the GC riders’ squads keeping them out of trouble as Messina approached.
There was a nasty left turn with 800 metres to go. Groupama led out Démare, who came around his lead out man and then charged right down the centre. Gaviria bounced his front tire in frustration, his bike with shifting problems.
Thursday is another sprint day as the race finally reaches the mainland, in this case the toe of the boot.
2022 Giro d’Italia Stage 5
1) Arnaud Démare (France/Groupama-FDJ) 4:03:56
2) Fernando Gaviria (Colombia/UAE-Emirates) s.t.
3) Giacomo Nizzolo (Italy/Israel-Premier Tech) s.t.
2022 Giro d’Italia GC
1) Juan Pedro Lopez (Spain/Trek-Segafredo) 18:21:03
2) Lennard Kämna (German/Bora-Hansgrohe) +0:39
3) Rein Taaramäe (Estonia/Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert) +0:58
