Hello there and welcome to the Cyclingnews live race centre for another day at the Giro d'Italia. After three stages that exceeded 200 kilometres, there are just 140km on today's menu. What's more, there's only one categorised climb and it's a net downhill stage. That'll be most welcome to many of the riders, not least Tom Dumoulin, who will try to get through today's stage after a nasty crash yesterday.
Here's what's in store
As you can see, we have a couple of climbs to kick things off. Although uncategorised, they are far from straight forward, and we should see an intense start as breakaway hopefuls try to make it up the road. GC teams, not least race leader Primoz Roglic's Jumbo-Visma, will have to really be on the ball here from KM0.
As the road drops down towards the coastline between Rome and Naples, the road flattens out and we have two intermediate sprints before a Cat-4 climb at Sezze. From there it's a short descent and a flat final 40km.
Dumoulin is the big story this morning. The 2017 champion finished yesterday's stage four minutes down, blood pouring from his knee. He declared his GC challenge over and his very presence in the race was hanging in the balance overnight.
This morning, he received medical clearance to start today's stage, though finishing it will be another matter. Here's the full story.
And here is Dumoulin at the start. One of our men on the ground, Alasdair Fotheringham, has this from the Dutchman.
"I don’t know if it’s possible, but I want to at least try, then I can’t blame myself for not trying"
'You’re a fighter', one reporter tells him.
"I don’t know about that but I at least want to try."
Before we get going, now's the time to catch up on yesterday's action. Here's our report page with a full write-up, full results, and a photo gallery.
The start of today's stage, by the way, is just over five minutes away. They'll roll out of Frascati at 13:55 local time, completing a short neutralised section before the racing proper gets underway just after 14.00.
Rain capes are the order of the day, as it's raining at the start. Here's maglia ciclamino and stage 1 winner Pascal Ackermann (Bora-Hansgrohe).
We're off
The riders are on their way out of Frascati and we'll be racing soon.
A slight delay as the riders make their way through the neutralised zone. The rain is still pouring down and they're going over soaking wet cobblestones in the centre of Frascati.
A reminder of the overall standings at the start of today's stage
1 Primoz Roglic (Slo) Team Jumbo-Visma 16:19:20 2 Simon Yates (GBr) Mitchelton-Scott 0:00:35 3 Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Bahrain-Merida 0:00:39 4 Miguel Angel Lopez (Col) Astana Pro Team 0:00:44 5 Diego Ulissi (Ita) UAE Team Emirates 6 Rafal Majka (Pol) Bora-Hansgrohe 0:00:49 7 Bauke Mollema (Ned) Trek-Segafredo 0:00:55 8 Damiano Caruso (Ita) Bahrain-Merida 0:00:56 9 Bob Jungels (Lux) Deceuninck-QuickStep 0:01:02 10 Davide Formolo (Ita) Bora-Hansgrohe 0:01:06
Here we go
The flag drops and we are racing.
Bardiani-CSF are on the move as the road immediately pitches uphill. We could see a big fight for the breakaway today, and it might not settle for a good while.
Tom Dumoulin abandons
That didn't take long. Dumoulin started the race but obviously felt immediately in the neutralised zone that he could play no further part in this race. A real shame.
As we hear of Dumoulin's abandon, we have a breakaway and, contrary to my predictions, it formed with a minimum of fuss. In there are:
Giulio Ciccone (Trek-Segafredo)
Louis Vervaeke (Team Sunweb)
Umberto Orsini (Bardiani-CSF)
Enrico Barbin (Bardiani-CSF)
Ivan Santaromita (Nippo Vini Fantini-Faizane)
Miguel Florez (Androni Giocattoli-Sidermec)
136km remaining from 140km
It's calm in the peloton as they spread across the road and let this breakaway go clear. The gap is one minute.
Ciccone is wearing the blue jersey as leader of the mountains classification. With just one cat-4 climb (three points) on offer today, is it worth the effort?
After Dumoulin's abandon, Sunweb have to change focus, and that now looks to be stage wins, as they fire Vervaeke up the road.
The rest of the break is made up of riders from the three Italian Pro Continental teams, who will no doubt be represented in the lion's share of the breaks at this Giro. Nippo are the only ones who have made all three so far, with Sho Hatsuyama making up the break all on his own on stage 3.
The riders have come over the top of that first uncategorised climb and are now heading downhill through the mist.
130km remaining from 140km
Jumbo-Visma have taken to the front of the peloton and are setting a pace that is not allowing the break much leeway at all. The gap is still just above one minute.
Ciccone has decided to drop back to the peloton. That leaves five in the break.
The rain is still coming down hard and the roads are covered in surface water. It's an utterly miserable day to be riding your bike.
122km remaining from 140km
The gap starts to rise now. Two minutes and counting for the break as they prepare to take on the second uncategorised climb.
None of these riders are a threat in terms of the overall standings. Vervaeke is the best-placed of the five, in 75th place, 6:07 down on Roglic.
Here's the moment Dumoulin's Giro came to an end.
117km remaining from 140km
On the climb Deceuninck-QuickStep send a rider to the front of the peloton. The gap remains around the two-minute mark.
Plenty of Bora riders behind as well. Jumbo-Visma worked early on but are likely to put the onus on the sprinters' teams to chase down this break for a bunch gallop in Terracina.
As we hit the top of the climb and reach a mini plateau before the downhill section, the gap between the five breakaway riders and the peloton remains at two minutes.
The riders are picking their way down a descent. The roads are horribly slick with the rain and there is no point in taking any big risks. The gap between the leaders and the peloton is hovering at just over 1:40.
A problem for Andemeskel on the descent. Fortunately, he doesn't look too banged up. One of the race motorbikes has gone down in a separate incident. The roads are really wet.
Orsini is no longer in the leading group and he is chasing a little further back. It's not clear if he had an incident or he's just being a bit more tentative on the descent.
The sprint teams continue to manage the pace in the peloton with FDJ, Bora-Hansgrohe and Deceuninck-QuickStep placing riders up front. Primoz Roglic and his team are just behind. They've been happy to let the sprint teams do the heavily lifting in the early stages, but it's interesting that they're not looking to be further up the peloton in these conditions.
94km remaining from 140km
Up front, Orsini has made it back to his breakaway companions to give us five. The five have 1:38 on the peloton behind.
The riders are onto flatter terrain and have dealt with the hardest part of today's stage. Coming up very soon will be the first of two intermediate sprints.
Some riders are dropping back to the team cars for some more/new layers. The rain is torrential and even the best wet weather gear is struggling to cope with the conditions.
The breakaway rolls through the intermediate sprint, which is on cobbles. There is no contest for it and Barbin leads the five riders through. In the peloton, Ackermann sprints off the front of the bunch to pick up a few points.
A mechanical problem for Giacomo Nizzolo and he pulls over to the side of the road. He takes the opportunity to take his jacket off, perhaps to get a new one.
Race leader Primoz Roglic is back in the cars at the moment. It doesn't seem like he's too stressed and he doesn't have any teammates with him. Perhaps a comfort break or a quick chat with the team car.
Roglic, with a little difficulty pulls off his rain cape and gets a new one from the team car. His capes are pink, by the way, issued by the race organisers rather than his team.
Vincenzo Nibali drops back to the race director's car for a chat.
And now Roglic heads back to the race director's car.
There could be discussion going on over a possible neutralisation of GC times later on. The riders will cross the finish line in Terracina for the first time with around 10km to go before doing a final loop. There could be a call to take GC times on the first passage, leaving the sprinters to get on with it and allow the overall favourites to avoid risks in these treacherous conditions. We've seen what happened yesterday with late crashes, as we're already one former champion and title contender down.
There's definitely something afoot. Gaviria is next to the red car.
75km remaining from 140km
With 75km to go, the gap to the five leaders stands at a modest 1:30.
71km remaining from 140km
At the second intermediate sprint, Barbin takes maximum points once again.
GC times neutralised early
What we suspected earlier has just been made official. Given the wet conditions, timings for the general classification will be taken on the first passage of the finish line in Terracina with 9km to go. That means the overall contenders can sit up and take no risks in the closing kilometres, leaving the sprinters to get on with it.
65km remaining from 140km
65km to go and the gap is down to 1:15 as UAE put a rider on the front.
Nibali's teammate Kristijan Koren did not start today's stage. That's because he has been named in the blood doping ring uncovered by Operation Aderlass and has been provisionally suspended by the UCI.
So has Bahrain-Merida director Borut Bozic, who rode for the team last year, along with UAE Team Emirates' Kristijan Durasek and former pro Alessandro Petacchi. Big news and perhaps the biggest shockwaves yet from Aderlass. Full details at the link below.
Petacchi, Koren, Durasek, Bozic named in Austrian doping ring
Given the weather conditions, the race organisation, in agreement with jury of commissaires, has decided that times will be taken on the first passage of the finish line in Terracina. Points and time bonuses will awarded at the stage finish #Giro
57km remaining from 140km
The breakaway riders are about to start the only categorised climb of the day - the fourth-category ascent at Sezze.
As they near the top of the relatively gentle climb, Vervaeke sets off in search of the points.
53km remaining from 140km
Vervaeke goes very early but he's away by some distance and takes the maximum of three points.
The peloton come over the top 1:30 in arrears
Vervaeke has carried on with his effort and is going it alone. He has 40 seconds on the other four breakaway riders already.
43km remaining from 140km
Orsini, Barbin, Santaromita, and Florez's time is up. They are caught by the peloton, leaving one rider - Vervaeke - out front with a lead of 1:20.
Vervaeke heads under the 40km-to-go banner. The roads are still very slick and the gentle bends are being taken very gingerly.
In case you missed it, my colleague Barry Ryan taken a look at the overall complexion after yesterday's shake-up.
Puncture for Caleb Ewan (Lotto Soudal), just as the pace intensifies in the peloton.
30km remaining from 140km
The increase in pace has seen Vervaeke's lead start to fall. The Sunweb rider has one minute as we head into the final 30km.
A nice story, this, from Alasdair Fotheringham, who caught up with Larry Warbasse and Connor Dunne in their first race together since their NoGo Tour last year, in which they went bike touring for a week instead of racing the Tour of Britain as their Aqua Blue team folded suddenly and left them staring unemployment in the face.
"Part of me wishes I was still out there eating pizza with Larry somewhere in Italy," says Dunne. "But hey, I'm not really complaining at all."
25km to go now and Vervaeke has just 25 seconds and will soon be caught.
Groupama-FDJ sent a rider to the front now. Arnaud Demare's team have been prominent on the run-ins so far.
Vervaeke is on a wide false flat and looks over his shoulder to see the peloton close at hand. It's almost over.
23km remaining from 140km
Vervaeke is caught. Peloton all together.
The average speed so far is 39.5km/h.
Jumbo-Visma set up on the right-hand side of the road, protecting the race leader. FDJ have a man on the very front followed by Elia Viviani's QuickStep teammates. Androni also prominent, with Movistar in the middle trying to protect their GC men Landa and Carapaz.
18km remaining from 140km
Tom Bohli on the front at the moment for Gaviria and UAE. The main sprint teams are still trading turns on the front, but the break is already caught so there's no chasing to do, and the real organisation of lead-out trains will be saved for a little later.
A reminder that Tom Dumoulin is no longer in the Giro d'Italia. He lasted one kilometre before climbing off his bike and into the team car. Here's the full story.
14km remaining from 140km
The pace is still pretty gentle. Thomas De Gendt and Jan Bakelants have been hanging off the back having a natter for a good few minutes now.
The rain continues to pelt down on the run-in. It really has been relentless today. There's so much water it's gathering in pools on the sides of the road and all being sprayed up by the riders on the flanks of the bunch.
11km remaining from 140km
We're coming into the finish town of Terracina now.
The riders enter the home straight for the first time. A reminder that GC times will be taken on the first passage of the finish line.
9km remaining from 140km
The peloton crosses the line for the first time. Coming up, a flat 9km loop.
So, the GC riders can sit back now. Finishing times have been taken, so there will be no changes to the general classification, provided everyone finishes the stage. It's over to the sprinters' teams to battle it out.
8km remaining from 140km
The riders had a first look at the home straight there. They'll have noticed the ridiculous amount of standing water. It's going to be a treacherous sprint. Let's hope everyone stays upright.
Lotto Soudal and Bora are the prominent teams as we head around this loop. The GC teams are not up there battling for position so this is a far less intense and dangerous run-in.
Elia Viviani (Deceuninck-QuickStep), Pascal Ackermann (Bora), Fernando Gaviria (UAE Team Emirates), Arnaud Demare (Groupama-FDJ), Caleb Ewan (Lotto Soudal). They're the big names here. Look out, too, for Matteo Moschetti (Trek-Segafredo), who was up there on stage 3 but was impeded by Viviani.
5km remaining from 140km
5km to go now and Israel Cycling Academy take it up with six riders. Their man is Davide Cimolai, who is definitely an outside shot today.
A tight right-hander and a sharp intake of breath. Everyone comes through unscathed. And now a left-hander. Those bends string out the bunch.
Demare was caught a bit far back and his teammates move him up swiftly.
4km remaining from 140km
Another couple of bends and still Israel dominate the front of the bunch.
A big split in the bunch. Mainly the stage contenders and their key teammates left out front now.
3km remaining from 140km
Israel continue to lead this one as they bunch up again on a wider road.
FDJ move up alongside now. They and Israel still have four each.
Senechal moves Viviani up towards the front on the left. Sabatini comes up now.
2km remaining from 140km
Roger Kluge comes to the fore now. That's Ewan's lead-out man.
Bora now hit the front, with Ackermann well positioned.
CCC put a rider on the front as we hit 1500 to go. They're working for Mareczko.
1km remaining from 140km
Through the puddles and into the final kilometre!
FDJ take it up through the flamme rouge but QuickStep come up on the left.
QuickStep and FDJ side by side but now Senechal takes pole position
QuickStep n the driving seat
But now FDJ come through
Ackermann launches
Gaviria moves to the front
But Ackermann comes back...
And takes it!
Pascal Ackermann (Bora-Hansgrohe) wins stage 5 of the Giro d'Italia
Wow, a second stage win for the German, and that's quite a sprint. He's third wheel - behind his lead-out man and one from FDJ - when he looks over his shoulder and sees Gaviria opening up. He has to stop pedalling momentarily as the FDJ lead-out rider peels off to the right, into the middle of the road. Nonetheless, he gets onto Gaviria's wheel before surging past him on the left and snatching it on the line.
Demare finished a more distant third. Viviani was right behind when Ackermann and Gaviria opened up but didn't look like he had any acceleration in the legs and finished outside the top 10.
Top 10
1 Pascal Ackermann (Ger) Bora-Hansgrohe 3:27:05 2 Fernando Gaviria (Col) UAE Team Emirates 3 Arnaud Demare (Fra) Groupama-FDJ 4 Caleb Ewan (Aus) Lotto Soudal 5 Matteo Moschetti (Ita) Trek-Segafredo 6 Ryan Gibbons (RSA) Dimension Data 7 Paolo Simion (Ita) Bardiani CSF 8 Jenthe Biermans (Bel) Katusha-Alpecin 9 Giovanni Lonardi (Ita) Nippo-Vini Fantini-Faizane 10 Manuel Belletti (Ita) Androni Giocattoli-Sidermec
Primoz Roglic and the rest of the GC contenders cross the line, their times already safe. No change to the top of the standings, although Tom Dumoulin is of course now out of the race.
General Classification after stage 5
1 Primoz Roglic (Slo) Team Jumbo-Visma 19:46:25 2 Simon Yates (GBr) Mitchelton-Scott 0:00:35 3 Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Bahrain-Merida 0:00:39 4 Miguel Angel Lopez (Col) Astana Pro Team 0:00:44 5 Diego Ulissi (Ita) UAE Team Emirates 6 Rafal Majka (Pol) Bora-Hansgrohe 0:00:49 7 Bauke Mollema (Ned) Trek-Segafredo 0:00:55 8 Damiano Caruso (Ita) Bahrain-Merida 0:00:56 9 Bob Jungels (Lux) Deceuninck-QuickStep 0:01:02 10 Davide Formolo (Ita) Bora-Hansgrohe 0:01:06
That's Ackermann's second stage win of what is his debut Grand Tour. He turned pro with Bora in 2017 but didn't win until 2018. Since he did, however, he has hardly stopped. 9 wins last year, and now 5 this term, and he has quickly become one of the top sprinters in the world. There was some controversy about Bora's decision to omit Sam Bennett - who won three stages last year - but few can really argue now.
Let's hear from the stage winner
"I think this was a two-time sprint for me today because I had to brake in the final 200 metres but then luckily Gaviria was the perfect lead-out for me and I had a lot of power in the end and I'm just happy about today.
"The sprint was really scary, the stage was really scary. On the descents you couldn't see much because of the water and it was lucky nobody crashed."
There are question marks over how far the sprinters will go in this Giro, with so little on offer in the mountainous second half of the race. Some will head home early to prepare for the Tour de France, but it seems Ackermann - whose team will be led by Peter Sagan in July - wants to go all the way to Verona. He was wearing the maglia ciclamino today and increases his lead in the points classification, which will be a big motivation when it comes to getting over those mountains.
"I was happy I got the [ciclamino] jersey back and it is top that we can continue like this and maybe bring the jersey to Verona," he added.
"We tried to go for it and because of the conditions we decided to come up late. That worked but then FDJ came up alongside us and were strong. When Ackermann and Gaviria came strongly from behind that was it. Afterwards it was a war for a placing and it was difficult to even stay up.
"I don’t agree with people who say I’m not at my best. I only just lost the first sprint to Ackermann, I won the second sprint but it was taken from me. When you’re so cold you can be okay with 200 metres to go but then you can’t feel your legs. There are still two more possibilities for the sprinters in Modena and then Novi Ligure. I hope to win them. Only then will we decided if I try to ride all the way to Verona or not."
Want all the snap post-stage reaction in one handy place? Here you go.
Tom Dumoulin spoke at the finish. Here's what he had to say.
"I came here for a three-week adventure and I wanted to finish it and I'm not ready to go home yet. I didn't want to be at home and in two days time be able to ride when the swelling goes down and be sad that I abandoned, so I needed to try and push through with some painkillers today and it might've been possible. I would've always asked myself that question and now I can ask myself and I know the answer."
Thanks to @giroditalia organisers in agreement with @UCI_cycling for this good decision today due to the difficult weather conditions. Good to leave the sprinters do their job and avoid GC riders stressing for time gaps in the final. We are totally in with @Lotto_Soudal https://t.co/sMRykjCccE
Here's what's in store tomorrow. A very interesting finale indeed.
Full results, report, and photos from today's stage can be found in the link below.
That's it from us for today. Keep an eye on the site for all the news and reaction from Terracina, and join us again here tomorrow for full coverage of stage 6.
