Stage 5 is billed as ‘flat’ in the race manual, but a quick glance at the route profile proves that is a loose definition of the word.
A steady ride from Catania to Messina is punctuated by a Cat. 2 whopper up Portella Mandrazzi, with Juan Pedro Lopez (Trek-Segafredo) hoping for a serene first day in pink after wrestling the leader’s jersey of Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Fenix) on Mount Etna.
Can Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl Team drag Mark Cavendish over the summit, shield him to let him recharge, then explode and propel him to a second stage win? The Manx Missile will have just shy of 100km to recover after the summit – but how much effort will the team have expended to get him to a bunch sprint?
Giro d’Italia
Giro d’Italia Stage 4 as it happened – Van der Poel loses pink after Kamna wins on Etna
A DAY AGO
This is the last outing on the Sicilian shores, with the race belatedly heading to the Italian mainland on Thursday.
HOW CAN I WATCH THE GIRO ON TV AND LIVE STREAM?
WHEN IS STAGE 5?
STAGE 5 PROFILE AND ROUTE MAP
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Giro d’Italia
How many stages can Cavendish win at the Giro?
YESTERDAY AT 17:17
Giro d’Italia
Contador expects ‘irretrievable gaps’ on Etna as Giro GC battle hots up
YESTERDAY AT 16:09