He wanted it, his first victory in the pink jersey, and Mads Pedersen gave everything to win the fifth stage of the Giro d'Italia, the 151 km Ceglie Messapica - Matera. A stage with a very tough finale that brought more than half the group to their knees, where the Dane could exploit a perfect team and a gigantic Vacek.

A photo finish with Pedersen managing to keep a handful of centimeters over Edoardo Zambanini (Bahrain Victorious), who was the protagonist of an exceptional comeback, while Tom Pidcock of Q36.5 Pro Cycling finished third.

THE RACE. A difficult stage to interpret for the fifth day of the Giro d'Italia, the caravan started from Ceglie Messapica in Puglia and then arrived in the stunning scenery of Matera. All eyes on the finale with the Montescaglioso GPM with 3 km at an average of 8.4% and peaks of 14%, placed 30 km from the finish, and then the final kilometers all climbing towards the capital of Basilicata.

The early stages of the race were characterized by an attack by three riders who immediately left after the official start; Giosuè Epis (Arkea- B&B Hotels), Lorenzo Milesi (Movistar Team) and Davide Bais (Team Polti Visit Malta) managed to gain a maximum of 2'10" advantage over a group that was led by Jacopo Mosca for more than half the race.

40 km from the finish, Davide Bais broke the deadlock and with a decisive acceleration gave strength to the breakaway, remaining alone at the front with Lorenzo Milesi. The two leaders tried to hold off the group until 13 km from the finish. Meanwhile, the Montescaglioso GPM was fatal for several sprinters like Olav Kooij (Visma Lease a Bike) who definitively lost contact.

The Uae Team Emirates XRG took control, giving a significant acceleration. The race heated up 3 km from the finish on the day's final climb where Roglic himself tried to attack. Mads Pedersen himself risked losing ground on the climb, losing several positions, but his teammate Mathias Vacek, holder of the white jersey, did an incredible job bringing him back to the front. At that point, the Dutch star opened the gas and there was no contest. Edoardo Zambanini attempted an incredible comeback but had to surrender right on the finish line. Today again plenty of Italians in the top ten with Filippo Fiorelli fifth and Damiano Caruso ninth.

This is the third victory in three stages for Mads Pedersen, who confirms himself as the absolute master of these first days of the race. The Dane increases his advantage in the general classification and tomorrow with the Potenza - Naples stage he will have another opportunity to win the stage.

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FINISH ORDER

1 Pedersen Mads Lidl-Trek 03:27:31

2 Zambanini Edoardo Bahrain Victorious + 00

3 Pidcock Tom Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team + 00

4 Aular Orluis Movistar Team + 00

5 Fiorelli Filippo VF Group-Bardiani CSF-Faizanè + 00

6 Storer Michael Tudor Pro Cycling Team + 00

7 Pacher Quentin Groupama-FDJ + 00

8 Rivera Brandon INEOS Grenadiers + 00

9 Caruso Damiano Bahrain Victorious + 00

10 del Toro Isaac UAE Team Emirates-XRG + 00

GENERAL CLASSIFICATION

1 Pedersen Mads Lidl-Trek 15:11:52

2 Roglic Primoz Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe + 17

3 Vacek Mathias Lidl-Trek + 24

4 McNulty Brandon UAE Team Emirates-XRG + 31

5 del Toro Isaac UAE Team Emirates-XRG + 32

6 Ayuso Juan UAE Team Emirates-XRG + 35

7 Poole Max Team Picnic PostNL + 43

8 Tiberi Antonio Bahrain Victorious + 44

9 Storer Michael Tudor Pro Cycling Team + 46

10 Pellizzari Giulio Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe + 50