Giro d'Italia stage 6 LIVE: Sprinters prepare for a fast and furious cobbled sprint in Naples
Could a 6% hill 7km from the finish disrupt the sprinters on the road to Napoli?
The riders are happy to roll along under a moment of sun.
2km to the official stage start.
The pace is slow but the tension is high.
Some riders put on their capes as they feel some drops of rain.
Felix Engelhardt (Jayco AlUla) is the only DNS today.
The views across Paestum are incredible but the riders are focused on the stage.
On our way to Partenopei 🩵 📺 Follow the #Giroditalia on TV, and on socials, wherever you are 🌐 pic.twitter.com/3eZfkW8iDzMay 14, 2026
Riders roll along, with rain capes in their pockets.
They're off. The riders roll out of Paestum. Here we go!
The riders face a 8.4km neutralised sector before the flag drops.
The riders are lined-up for the roll out.
The riders are signing on under sun and showers.
Netcompany are ready for rain on the roads of Naples.
🗣️ “We are prepared and focused on today’s stage.”Hear from Sport Director Kurt Asle Arvesen ahead of a flat stage six at the #GirodItalia 🩷 pic.twitter.com/dqaxakkW97May 14, 2026
Visma ride to the sign-on.
🇮🇹 #GirodItalia On our way to the start of stage 6️⃣. Let’s make it a safe one, guys! 🐝 pic.twitter.com/eZ1N7FkVBdMay 14, 2026
This is how to watch the Giro, especially if you are away from home and want to use a VPN to stream your accounts.
How to watch Giro d'Italia 2026 – Free live streams, TV channels, Schedule, Stage 6
Jasper Stuyven has warned of the potentially huge risks in the cobbled finale if rain closes in on the riders as it did on Wednesday.
"I don't want to say that it really looks super dangerous already. I mean, if it rains, of course, it's not going to be funny, but I think Napoli is always known as a tricky run into the city," Stuyven told Cyclingnews.
"The roads themselves are not in the best condition. But it's hard to say. Nowadays, we can have a straightforward finish line and a big crash, or we can have a very technical final and bad crashes.
"I think it's more how [organisers] deal with narrowings and road furniture, and then part of it is also on the riders themselves."
The Picnic riders sign on.
Would you look at that, there's this thing called the sun peering through the clouds! ☀️A day that looks like to be one for the sprinters ⚡️#GirodItalia🇮🇹 pic.twitter.com/4RNAwgdFsFMay 14, 2026
A mass crash with 70km to go forced the race to stop, the GC times for the stage were neutralised, meaning all riders were given the same time on the line regardless of gaps, with no bonus seconds or sprint points awarded.
Last year the Giro finished in Napoli after a 227km ride from Potenza. It was a tough day out.
Groves beat Milan Fretin (Cofidis) and Paul Magnier (Soudal-QuickStep), thanks to Alpecin-Deceuninck's organisation in a hectic sprint.
The peloton only caught Taco van der Hoorn (Intermarché-Wanty) and Enzo Paleni (Groupama-FDJ) with 2.5km to go.
A late attack from Wout van Aert (Visma-Lease a Bike) threatened an upset but he was swept up but Groves emerged to win.
We have a new race leader after the epic rain-soaked stage 5.
This is what happened during a testing day to Potenza, where Igor Arrieta (UAE) won the stage and Afonso Eulálio (Bahrain Victorious) took the maglia rosa.
The riders are currently signing on in Paestum, near the Greek and Roman ruins.
Cross winds along the coast early in the stage could also be a problem, with a risk of rain showers during the day.
The stage marks a fifth consecutive year that the Giro has finished in Naples, though each finale has been quite different. This is one is very different.
The road rises in the final metres before entering the aim square on big slabs of stone.
This is the final part in the centre of Naples, which has concerned the teams due to the road surface.
This is the stage map.
This is the stage profile
However the final kilometres, as the sprinters fight for position, will be interesting.
Once under the 1km-to-go kite, the finale is defined by a dash of more ancient history, with tarmac changing to stone slabs and a noticeable upward pitch of 4%.
Mid-way across the cobbles, there are two quick right-hand bends, leaving 400 metres to the finish at Piazza del Plebiscito.
As Jackie Tyson pointed out, today's stage passes historic landmarks worthy of a sightseeing trip, starting with Greek and Roman archaeological sites in Paestum.
The remaining 100km are relatively flat, passing to the north of Mount Vesuvius and then moving west into the heart of Naples, with an abundance of urban twists and turns, as well as street furniture. Narrow lanes are replaced with wide, paved roads in the final 19km.
This is our stage preview.
Today is surely a day for the sprinters. The stage is only 142km long, flat and fast.
Buongiorno and welcome to the Cyclingnews live coverage of stage 6 of the Giro d'Italia.
