Fran Muñoz fights for the breakaway; Arnau Gilabert and Andrea Montoli save the stage in the group of illustrious riders

It was a day that could have seen a breakaway and so it turned out to be. However, the fifth stage of the Giro Next Gen was far from being a calm ride with a sesteante peloton, an early breakaway with a certain tacit permissiveness and more excitement in the vanguard than in the big group. A stage of very high pace, with an average of 50 km/h in the first hour, and many breakaway attempts without crystallising. One of them, led by Fran Muñoz, who was actively involved, and six other riders, offered the possibility of consolidation. But then came the first orographic difficulty of the day, Passo Tre Termini, and even the peloton experienced a great selection.

Within the last 40 kilometres, Lars Craps (Soudal-QuickStep), Trym Brennsæter (Groupama-FDJ) and Lukas Nerurkar (Trinity Racing) moved, a trio that consolidated their move by just over a minute. They would no longer be caught. Not all of them, as Craps dropped off on the descent of Sant’Eusebio, where the rain appeared with force and insistence. In the sprint to two the fastest would be Nerurkar, while the peloton, with double representation of the EOLO-KOMETA Cycling Team (Arnau Gilabert, Andrea Montoli), arrived at about 30″. The leader Johannes Staune-Mittet completed his first day in pink. Fran Muñoz was involved in a fall in the descent of Sant’ Eusebio and arrived unhooked.

On Friday, 166 kilometres between Pergine Valsugana and Povegliano, an essentially flat final part, ideal for the second pure volata of this edition of the Giro Next Gen. Because the Valico della Fricca is crowned early and its summit is very, very far from the finish; although it is not difficult to foresee offensives on its ramps, perhaps looking for that everlasting battle between the adventurers of the breakaway and those interested in the mass sprint.