The Potenza / Naples stage of the Giro d'Italia was won by Kaden Groves and this is the only valid result of a truly difficult day on the roads of the pink race. The sprint also provided thrills, with riders dangerously close to the barriers on the left side of the road. The Alpecin Deceuninck rider preceded Belgian Milan Fretin of Cofidis and Frenchman Paul Magnier of Soudal Quick Step. Among the top finishers were several Italians: Lonardi, Marcellusi, Moschetti, and Mozzato. The Milan-based Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team, which had crossed the finish line in eighth position, was sanctioned by the Commissioners' Panel for an incorrect sprint and relegated to the last position in their group.

THE RACE. About ten kilometers after the start from Potenza, six athletes took the lead: Michel Ries (Arkéa - B&B Hotels), Ben Turner (INEOS Grenadiers), Josef Černý (Soudal Quick-Step), Felix Engelhardt (Team Jayco AlUla), Manuele Tarozzi (VF Group - Bardiani CSF - Faizan) and Blue Jersey Lorenzo Fortunato (XDS Astana Team). Joining them was Lazio's Lorenzo Germani (Groupama – FDJ). When the group seemed well-balanced, some counter-attackers emerged from the pink jersey group: Jan Tratnik (Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe), Lucas Hamilton (INEOS Grenadiers), Joshua Tarling (INEOS Grenadiers), White Jersey Mathias Vacek (Lidl - Trek) and Davide Formolo (Movistar Team). Visma Lease a Bike brought everything back together at the thirtieth kilometer of the race.

Everything had to be redone, and after attacks and new breaks, French rider Enzo Paleni, 22, from Groupama - FDJ, and Taco van der Hoorn, 31, a Dutch rider from Intermarché - Wanty, winner of the Canale stage in the 2021 Giro, broke away. Behind them, Hemilton and Fortunato launched into pursuit but did not find an agreement, so the Blue Jersey left the British rider on the pedals and continued the chase of the breakaway riders alone.

At the fifty-second kilometer, Lorenzo Fortunato reached Paleni and van der Hoorn and with them climbed to the top of the Monte Carruozzo pass, winning the day's first mountain grand prix. Entering Campania, at the end of the descent, Fortunato detached from the breakaway and, after stopping, waited for the group.

The French and Belgian riders continued and contested the Flying Finish in Lioni (won by Paleni) with Jensen Plowright, Olaf Kooij, and Mads Pedersen passing in that order with a 2'14" delay. For a long stretch, the pink jersey group pursued, reducing the gap with the breakaway riders, and shortly after passing through Avellino, the leaders' delay was 58".

Seventy kilometers from the finish, due to the wet road, Jai Hindley lost control of his bicycle and fell. This triggered a domino effect that led to the decision to neutralize the race, canceling all bonuses and intermediate finishes after the crash and crediting all athletes with the winner's time.

Restarting with the advantage they had at the time of neutralization, Paleni and Van der Hoorn remained in the lead, pursued by the small group of fastest riders who caught them 3 kilometers from the finish. At the red triangle of the last kilometer, Van Aert is seen: the Belgian bursts out like lightning from the ranks, but Alpecin Deceuninck tracks him. In an instant, the sprint is launched, and Groves can toast his twentieth career victory, the second in the Giro after the one obtained in Atripalda/Salerno in 2023.

Tomorrow the "pink race" will come alive with the challenging 168 kilometers from Castel di Sangro with a summit finish in Tagliacozzo.

FINISH ORDER

1 GROVES Kaden Alpecin - Deceuninck

2 FRETIN Milan Cofidis

3 MAGNIER Paul Soudal Quick-Step

4 KANTER Max XDS Astana Team

5 LONARDI Giovanni Team Polti VisitMalta

6 ZIJLAARD Maikel Tudor Pro Cycling Team

7 MARCELLUSI Martin VF Group - Bardiani CSF - Faizan

Matteo Moschetti relegated from 8th to 175th

8 MOZZATO Luca Arkéa - B&B Hotels

9 GOVEKAR Matevž Bahrain - Victorious

10 KOOIJ Olav Team Visma | Lease a Bike

GENERAL CLASSIFICATION

1 PEDERSEN Mads Lidl - Trek 20:11:44

2 ROGLIČ Primož Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe 00:17

3 VACEK Mathias Lidl - Trek 00:24

4 MCNULTY Brandon UAE Team Emirates - XRG 00:31

5 DEL TORO Isaac UAE Team Emirates - XRG 00:32

6 AYUSO Juan UAE Team Emirates - XRG 00:35

7 POOLE Max Team Picnic PostNL 00:43

8 TIBERI Antonio Bahrain - Victorious 00:44

9 STORER Michael Tudor Pro Cycling Team 00:46

10 PELLIZZARI Giulio Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe 00:50

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