Giro d'Italia stage 5 - Live coverage

Buongiorno and welcome  the Cyclingnews live coverage of stage 5 of the Giro d'italia. 

As the cyclingnews blimp takes height, the riders are gathering in centre of Catania for the start of the 174km stage to Messina.  

The second of two Sicilian stages, stage 5 will provide some relief for the bunch following a day of climbing on the slopes of Mount Etna. 

The 194km stage begins in the town of Catania on the east coast of Sicily, the island’s second largest city. 

From Catania, the peloton will travel north along the coast of Sicily, before heading inland and taking on the first of two intermediate sprints. 

A bunch sprint finish is on the cards for the stage, assuming the sprinters can successfully manage the day’s single categorised climb, the second-category Portella Mandrazzi. At 19.5 kilometres long and with an average gradient of around four per cent, it’s a stringent enough test to find out which of the pure sprinters don’t have their best legs. However, placed just before halfway along the stage’s distance and with 30km of descending to follow, any stragglers should be able to make it back to the bunch with time to spare.

Following the descent to the coast, the final 64km is largely flat and features one further intermediate sprint as the race travels north towards the town of Messina, famously home to the 'Shark of Messina' himself, Vincenzo Nibali. 

The Astana Qazaqstan rider is unlikely to be afforded the opportunity to go for victory as the almost inevitable bunch sprint will unfold instead, featuring a strong field of fast men including Caleb Ewan (Lotto Soudal), Mark Cavendish (QuickStep-AlphaVinyl), Giacomo Nizzolo (Israel-Premier Tech) and Arnaud Démare (Groupama-FDJ).

The riders are lining up in central Catania for the roll out. 

They face a neutral sector of 7.1km before the stage starts.   

Mark Cavendish finished safely inside the time limit atop Mount Etna, carefully calibrating his effort on the first mountain stage of the 2022 Giro d'Italia in the hope of being at his best for the expected sprint finish in Messina on Wednesday and then in Scalea on Thursday.

His QuickStep team is confident that his leadout and Cavendish can win again.

"We have a really good sprinter with Mark and a fantastic team around to support him. I think we brought here our best guys for the lead-out, and then we also have some guys for stage wins," Team coach Vasilis Anastopoulos explained on Tuesday.

Click below to read the full Cavendish story. 

Cavendish conquers Mount Etna and eyes next Giro d'Italia sprint in Messina

The four jersey wearers are lined-up at the start and will soon be joined by the rest of the peloton.

The opening 40km head north along the coastline, passing towards the stunning holiday locations of Giardini-Naxos and Taormina. 

We can expect a break to form on the coast road and we can already seen several Drone Hopper riders line-up near the front. 

The riders are rolling! 

To catch-up on everything that happened during stage 4, click on our detailed live coverage of the stage below.

Giro d'Italia stage 4 - Live coverage

Barry Ryan and Alasdair Fotheringham are in Catania for Cyclingnews and were atop Mount Etna yesterday, producing our detailed reporting of all the action and reaction.

The sun is out in Sicily but there is a slight breeze blowing from the east that could spark some aggressive racing.   

Today's stage finishes at around 4pm local time, an hour earlier than usual, to allow the riders and race caravan cross the Strait of Messina to the Italian mainland.  

This was the roll out from central Catania.

Here we go, the flag drops and the stage is off! 

And we immediately have attacks. 

Eolo, AG2R, Bardiani and Drone Hopper riders are all trying to join attacks. 

170km to go

We have a break!

5 riders have a gap and the peloton has eased.

An emergency means an ambulance has to pass the team cars in the race caravan. 

These are the 5 riders in the attack: 

Jaakko Hänninen (AG2R Citroën)

Alessandro Tonelli (Bardiani-CSF)

Mattia Bias (Drone Hopper)

Filippo Tagliani (Drone Hopper)

Mirco Maestri (Eolo-Kometa)

The break leads by 1:50 and that gap will surely grow as the race leader stops for a natural break.

With  Juan Pedro López (Trek-Segafredo) stopping, lots of other riders stop too.

165km to go

None of the 5 attackers are a threat to Lopez' race lead. Hänninen is best placed but at 15:21. 

The gap to the break is up to 3:30. 

It will be interesting to see how much of a gap the peloton will give the breakaways.

QuickStep and Lotto have one rider at the front but they are riding steady. 

The gap is up to 4:00. 

The sprint teams will need to pace their effort on the long Portella Mandrazzi climb to the north of Mount Etna after 75km. They have to protect their sprinters while also trying to keep the attack under control. 

If the 5 attackers gain too much time now, they could try to stay away all the way to Messina.

155km to go

It will be interesting to see if Alpecin-Fenix and Intermarche try to hurt Cavendish and Ewan on the long climb.

It will require a big effort and QuickStep and Lotto can help them return to the peloton on the flat roads to the finish too. 

There will be a sea breeze blowing from the northern coast but at 5-10km/h it is unlikely to cause any major problems or splits.

150km to go

The peloton seems to have decided to peg the break to 4:30. 

De Gendt (Lotto), Serry (QuickStep) and Davy (Groupama) are leading the chase for their sprinters, with Jacopo Mosca riding up front fro Trek and race leader Lopez.

173 riders started the stage, the same number as those who finished stage 4.

The Whoop heart rate data shows  Juan Pedro López is riding at 102 beats per minute, such is the steady pace.   

In association with Whoop, Juan Pedro López was selected as the Cyclingnews Giro d'Italia rider of the day for his aggressive ride on Mount Etna and pink jersey. 

Click below for the full story.

Juan López's attack to take the maglia rosa earns Giro d'Italia rider of the day

Ewan seems keen for the slightly technical finish in Messina.

He's referring to the two corners inside the final 1.5km. 

The first turn with 1.4km to go is sweeping and on wide roads. However the second turn, at 800m to go, comes after a slightly descending road and much tighter.

That will be the pinch point of the sprint before a fast, wide finish into a slight headwind. 

TV commentator Matt Stephens made this video recon of the finish.

The riders are about to turn inland and head towards the climb of the day. 

The peloton has reduced the time gap on the break to 3:15. As we suggested, they will probably let it expand on the climb as the sprinters take on the climb.

This is the map of the stage at the eastern tip of Sicily.

This is the map of finish in Messina.

135km to go

Clement Davy is doing long rides on the front of the peloton to keep the break in check. 

He is even lining out the peloton as they turn left inland. 

Jacopo Guarnieri is also expecting a hectic finish in Messina.

120km to go

The road is starting to climb gradually as the intermediate sprint nears.

Will the sprinters fight for the remaining points? Probably not.

This first intermediate sprint awards points but not time bonuses.

Points mean prizes! Quite literally, at the Giro d’Italia, as the ciclamino jersey is awarded to the rider who amasses the most points across the competition. 

Riders accrue points through winning specified intermediate sprints, and for their finishing position on stages, with more points being awarded for more difficult stages.

Click below to read our special feature on the Giro prize money and jersey competitions. 

What is the prize money for the Giro d'Italia 2022?

The 5 attackers near the sprint.

Tagliani wins it, taking more points and prizes. 

Tagliani has a good kick and this is his third day on the attack.

Girmay edges clear with a teammate to pick up 3 points for sixth place. 

That's a sign he's determined to fight for the ciclamino points jersey. 

Mathieu van der Poel still leads the ciclamino jersey points competition. He has 62 points, with Girmay now on 58. 

However there are 50 points to the stage winner ands lots of others on a sliding scale.

110km to go

The intermediate sprint marked the start of the Portella Mandrazi climb. 

The roads heads upwards for 20km, up to an altitude of 1125m.  

The roads climbs up through the lush green valley towards Portella Mandrazi. 

The attackers are working together while the sprinters can sit in the slipstream and pace their effort. 

105km to go

The peloton is in control, with the gap of the 5 attackera falling to 3:00.

Here we go! 

With 106km to race, Alepcin-Fenix have upped the pace at the head of the peloton. 

They're clearly trying to make rival sprinters and their teams suffer.

Crash in the peloton! 

A touch of wheels saw several riders ride into each other. A movistar rider needs a bike change. 

Alpecin's aggressive riding is having an effect. 

Ewan is in the team cars, while Cavendish is at the back of the peloton, with several teammates.

The riders are just 4km from the summit of the climb and so Cavendish will surely not lose too much time.  

Cavendish has 4 teammates with him and is spinning his gear to save his legs.

The pace set by Alpecin has cut the gap to the break to just 2:00.  

Ewan is also chasing off the back with a teammate. He crashed hard on stage 1 and so has bandages on his left leg.

100km to go

Ewan is 2:00 down on the peloton. 

He needs to catch the Cavendish group to join forces.

Arnaud Demare is also struggling on the climb. 

Over the top of the climb and the peloton is just 50 seconds behind the attacker.

BikeExchange are also protecting Simon Yates up front for the long, fast descent.

Demare reaches the summit 1 minute down on the peloton. 

Cavendish is at 3:00 with four teammates.

Ewan was even further back, at 4:30. 

All of them will have to dive down the descent in the hope the peloton avoids taking risks. 

Up front, the break is also hoping the peloton eases, to help them stay away.

UAE are also riding on the front of the peloton to keep Demare, Cavendish and Ewan out the back and so help Gaviria's chances in the sprint.

85km to go

The riders are halfway through the stage as the sprinters  try to get back on the descent.

The Cavendish group is now timed at 2:00 down on the peloton. Ewan is further back. 

Intermarche are leading on the descent but their pace is not fast enough to further distance Cavendish and his teammates.

But the break is only 15 seconds ahead of the peloton. 

Filippo Tagliani (Drone Hopper) has eased up from the attack and has been caught by the peloton.

Jaakko Hänninen (AG2R Citroën), Alessandro Tonelli (Bardiani-CSF), Mattia Bias (Drone Hopper) and Mirco Maestri (Eolo-Kometa) stay clear but only by 10 seconds now.

The riders are close to the coast now but the roads remain twisting and technical. 

Demare is back in the peloton. 

We will soon see if Cavendish can make it too. 

However Cavendish and other riders are still 2:20 behind the peloton. 

The final 70km will be a battle all the way to the finish in Messina.

It will be interesting to see who rides up front.

Alpecin, Intermarche and UAE for sure,  plus Israel for Nizzolo and others.

Cavendish has five QuickStep teammates to help lead the chase. They are taking big turns on the front, trying to lose the gap.

65km to go

Israel has placed two riders on the front to drive the pace in the peloton and they have helped closed the gap on the attackers.

We have gruppo compatto.  

It will be fascinating to see which teams will drive the peloton to keep Cavendish out of the back. 

The sprint teams also have to think about the leadout. 

Caleb Ewan is further back but Thomas De Gendt has also dropped back to try to help him.

Riders grab musettes from their teams but there's little time to enjoy a late lunch.

The speed is high and the race is on. 

Ewan now has 4 teammates to help him close the gap. 

The Cavendish group is at 2:20.

The peloton is lined out but there are only 2 riders from Israel setting the pace, with some help from UAE. 

Cavendish has five riders to help him.

The Ewan group is at 4:30.

QuickStep are also riding a team time trial to close the gap and so that could leave Cavendish alone or with a tired leadout for the finish.

60km to go

Cavendish is at 1:50. Their effort seems worth it. 

Demare is confirmed as back in the peloton. 

The peloton is again lined out due to the high pace, the Cavendish group is still 2:00 behind. 

This is a pursuit match all the way to the finish in Messina.

QuickStep continue to chase but the gap is up to 2:00.

However the Groupama-FDJ team is also working on the front to stop Cavendish getting back on.

50km to go

Riders are eating and drinking as they begin the final 50km. 

Wow! QuickStep appears to have eased up or even given up the chase. 

The QuickStep riders exited a roundabout and eased up.

This was the three-way pursuit but the QuickStep team is now over 2:00 on the peloton. 

They seem to have lost any chance of closing the gap.

Mathieu van der Poel is sat at the back of the peloton but you can bet he will contest the sprint.

35km to go

It's time for the second intermediate sprint of the stage.

UAE lead it out for Almeida.

Swift responds to win it and take the 3 seconds but Almeida takes 2 seconds and Romain Bardet 1 second.  

Every second could count in this year's Giro. 

The peloton has eased, knowing that the Cavendish group has also eased and given up any hope of closing the gap and contesting the sprint.  

30km to go

Everyone's in the peloton is starting to think about the sprint finish. 

Gaviria won in Messina in 2019. Can he do it again? 

18km to go

The peloton is riding to Messina, ready for a sprint finish without Cavendish and Ewan.

The sprint teams are taking-up position at the head of the peloton but the pace is steady.   

The peloton is packed tight but the speed is close to 60km/h.

This is the final 5km of the stage. 

The final corner at 800m to go is the key pinch point. 

8km to go

Cavendish and Ewan at 7:00 back. 

The time limit is about 25 minutes and so there's ono problem for them.  

The head of the peloton is split into two lines. 

The GC riders are also trying to stay up front to avoid any crashes. 

Bora lead the peloton in to the centre of Messina.

The peloton is lined out as the road rises and turns.

3km to go

Alpecin take over at the front. 

2km to go

Israel are up there too for Nizzolo. 

DSM take over but UAE are there too.

They sweep left through the curve. One bend to go. 

Last km

Safely through the tight last corner at 800m. 

Sprint!

Groupama lead it out.

Demare wins in Messina!

Groupama produced a great leadout, allowing Demare to go at the right time and avoid a fight for position. 

Gaviria was near him but seemed to have a problem with his gears. He was spinning his legs like crazy and banged his bike into the road in anger.

He refused to talk about a bike problem. 

Gaviria was perfectly-placed on Demare's wheel but couldn't get up to him with a lower gear. 

Everyone else was further back and fighting for position. 

Girmay almost crashed into the barriers but finished 5th. 

Van der Poel was not in the top ten. 

This is the photo  finish of the sprint. 

It was Demare's first win of 2022.

This is a close-up of Demare's win.

In other breaking news, Vincenzo Nibali has confirmed his retirement at end of 2022.

Click below for the full story.  

Vincenzo Nibali announces retirement at end of 2022

Nibali said: "I was waiting for this stage for a while, for years, it’s where I started to ride and train, so I wanted to confirm here that this is my last Giro and my last season," Nibali said with tears in his eyes. 

"It’s time to call it a day. I’ve done so much for so long but it’s the right time."   

Nibali retires as one of only seven riders in history to have won all three Grand Tours. He landed the Vuelta a España in 2010, the Giro in 2013 and 2016, and the Tour de France in 2014.

He also claimed Monument victories at Il Lombardia in 2015 and 2017, and at Milan-San Remo in 2018, when he soloed clear on the Poggio and then held off the chasers to win on the Via Roma.

Nibali perhaps reached his zenith with his dominant victory on the 2014 Tour, but his most dramatic triumph came on the 2016 Giro.

To see our stage report and results, click below. 

Giro d'Italia: Démare wins stage 5

Groupama-FDJ rightly celebrated Demare's stage win.

 Juan Pedro López (Trek-Segafredo) finished safely in the peloton and so kept the race leader's maglia rosa for a second day.

He and the rest of the Giro caravan will now cross the Strait of Messina for stage 6 from Palmi to Scalea. 

This is the stage profile, confirming it is a day for the sprinters.

Mark Cavendish spoke post-stage after he was distanced on the mid-stage climb.

Five QuickStep teammates tried to chase back to the peloton but were unable to close the gap. 

"You are always disappointed but we knew that was going to happen today. It was a bonus if we could sprint today, but we have to try, and we'll try again," Cavendish said.

To read the full story on the attacks, chases and time lost, click below.

Cavendish and Ewan dropped ahead of sprint finish on Giro d'Italia stage 5

This is the helicopter footage of the sprint. Look how Girmay avoided crashing into the barriers.

“I’m really happy. It's the first win of the year for me. It's been a difficult day. It was a brilliant sprint, the guys did a really good job. They launched the sprint perfectly,” Demare said after his win.

“It was a difficult climb - I lost quite a bit of time, but we did a great job to get back on the descent. Everyone had to be strong to get back.”

Demare was happy to win the sixth Giro stage of his career and 85th career victory.

These are the results of the stage. 

Click below to see our growing photo gallery and full stage report.

Giro d'Italia: Démare wins stage 5 - Frenchman takes stage as Ewan, Cavendish left behind

Thursday's 192km sixth stage of the Giro d’Italia is the first to take place on the Italian mainland. 

Just a short hop across  the strait from Messina, the stage rolls entirely across the region of Calabria, beginning in the toe of Italy’s metaphorical boot, in the coastal town of Palmi.

The stage ends in Scalea up the Calabrian coast, with another sprint highly likely. 

Thanks for joining our full live coverage of sage 5. Join us on Thursday for the best updates from stage 6 of the 2022 Giro d'Italia.

A domani. Ciao!