Kaden GROVES. 6. Wins a small stage: stopped, halted, and distorted. Can we say mortified? The 26-year-old Australian is not to blame, he and those like him go all the way, but at the Naples finish line, it's not a Giro stage that arrives, but rather a surrogate, the essence of the "pink race" that hints at its flavor but doesn't leave aromas. The race dissolves, evaporates like the rain that fell at the end. The substance is only Kaden's, who doesn't crash. The Australian lets them vent, before he starts like Saronni at Goodwood: a shot along the Via Caracciolo waterfront and voilà, the job is done. Too bad the game is stopped, slowed down, and neutralized for the classification riders until the end, when the road is now dry, when the race has taken a different, ugly turn.

Milan FRETIN. 6. The 24-year-old Belgian rider from Cofidis throws himself into the sprint with courage and determination. Brings home an honorable place, the first in a Grand Tour: honor to merit.

Paul MAGNIER. 6. For Soudal Quick-Step, this Giro started in a very complicated way, with the loss of the team's beacon like Mikel Landa. Today Paul tried to give the Belgian formation a confidence boost: it's a first step, it won't be the last.

Max KANTER. 6. For the 27-year-old German rider from XDS Astana, a top-five placement that comes in handy, but doesn't change much of the team's good start.

Giovanni LONARDI. 6. The Polti Visit Malta rider tries to stay with the best and sprint with them.

Maikel ZIJLAARD. 6. The Dutch Tudor rider tries again, tries with determination and clarity, but today takes home the minimum.

Luca MOZZATO. 6. The 27-year-old Arkea B&B rider also appears. A placement that clearly doesn't turn his head, but does good for his head.

Lorenzo FORTUNATO. 7. GPM passages at Valico di Monte Carruozzo: 1st Lorenzo Fortunato (XDS Astana Team) 2nd Taco van der Hoorn (Intermarchè - Wanty) 3rd Enzo Paleni (Groupama - FDJ). At km 72 Lorenzo steps back and leaves his two breakaway companions. The guy thought he could catch his breath quietly in the belly of the group, couldn't imagine that the worst was about to arrive: he crashes, crashes badly, comes out scraped and in tatters, but arrives.

Josef CERNY. 8. The 32-year-old Czech ends up on the ground: it's raining on the wet in the Soudal house, even though Josef initially gets into the ambulance, then gets down to get back on the bike and show up in Naples with tenacity and strength. He's Czech, but tough. Even if misfortune sees very well, he is more resilient than bad luck.

Lorenzo GERMANI. 6.5. Seven attackers start the breakaway: with the Groupama FDJ rider are Luxembourg's Michel Ries (Arkéa - B&B Hotels), Britain's Ben Turner (INEOS Grenadiers), Czech Josef Černý (Soudal Quick-Step), German Felix Engelhardt (Team Jayco AlUla), Faenza's Manuele Tarozzi (VF Group - Bardiani CSF - Faizanè) and Lorenzo Fortunato (XDS Astana Team). They are the ones who give meaning to this stage, before Hindley's crash conditions everything and in some ways the race loses its meaning.