Davide Ballerini dodges late pile-up to win stage six of Giro d’Italia
The XDS-Astana rider managed to duck a crash on treacherous wet cobbles which took out many of the favourites in Naples
Home favourite Davide Ballerini won his first Grand Tour stage as he avoided a late crash to win stage six of the Giro d’Italia . The XDS-Astana rider successfully dodged a late pile-up which took out several of the stage favourites and held off the chasing Jasper Stuyven for victory on the cobbles in Naples. Stuyven’s teammate Paul Magnier, who has already won two stages of this year’s race, was third.
The Frenchman nearly slipped himself as he tried to dodge riders on the ground, but managed to pick up speed again despite nearly coming to a stop and led in the chasing riders. Dylan Groenewegen and Jonathan Milan were both caught out in the pile-up, with Groenewegen’s lead-out rider Elmar Reinders one of the first to slip and crash on a tricky right-hander only 400m from the finish. Ballerini said: “Today was not on the plan.
Today our sprinter was [Matteo] Malucelli – I was trying to do the maximum for him. But when we arrived on the last corner, I saw that the first two guys had a crash. “I just exited from the corner, and I heard on the radio 'Go!
Go! Go! To the finish!