Davide Ballerini was the first to cross the finish line. © ANSA / LUCA ZENNARO

Mass crash leads to first Italian Giro victory

A mass crash in the final corner overshadowed the sprint finish on the sixth stage of the Giro d'Italia – and gave the hosts their first home victory.

14 May 2026

From: dpa

The Italian Davide Ballerini benefited from the crash of his colleagues on the cobblestones in Naples and took the victory after 141 kilometers ahead of the Belgian Jasper Stuyven and the Frenchman Paul Magnier.

A few hundred meters from the finish line, Dutch sprint star Dylan Groenewegen and about a dozen other riders went down. Ballerini capitalized on the chaos and secured the first Italian victory in this year's Giro d'Italia, which has been plagued by numerous crashes since its start in Bulgaria.

Thursday's stage was also marred by crashes. © APA/afp / LUCA BETTINI

There had already been a heavy crash earlier, involving three-time Giro stage winner Nico Denz. The 32-year-old fell in a right-hand bend with just over 100 kilometers to go and hit his head. Visibly dazed, Denz's race seemed over, but the Red Bull rider, known for his great fighting spirit, got back up and even managed to rejoin the peloton.

Does Vingegaard win at the log cabin?

Portugal's Afonso Eulalio continues to lead the overall standings. However, his reign in the pink jersey could end on Friday when the seventh stage takes riders up to the legendary Blockhaus. The 13,6-kilometer climb features an average gradient of 8,4 percent.

Then top favorite Jonas Vingegaard will be put to the test for the first time. The two-time Tour champion from Denmark has held back so far and has also managed to avoid the many crashes.