Italian rider Davide Ballerini wins a Giro d’Italia stage in Naples after a late crash affects many riders near the finish. Multiple reports describe a dangerous final cobbled sector in wet conditions, where several of the favourites and sprint-focused teams are caught in a pile-up. Ballerini, riding for XDS-Astana, avoids the crash and continues to the city-centre finish.
The stage is reported as a flat ride from Paestum, covering about 142 km, before arriving at a sprint-type finish in Naples. Ballerini sprints to take victory and beats Belgium’s Jasper Stuyven, who is identified as his main rival at the line. One outlet adds that Portugal’s Afonso Eulálio retains the overall race lead, following the disruption caused by the crash.
Overall, the accounts focus on how treacherous, wet cobbles trigger a significant crash late in the race, reshaping the field for the final dash and enabling Ballerini to claim the stage win.
