As it happened: Sprinters take the day on stage 9 after thrilling finale into Naples

Buongiorno and welcome to Cyclingnews' live coverage of stage 9 of the 2024 Giro d'Italia!

Stage nine of the Giro d'Italia 2024 is here! The final stage of the first week before the riders have a well earned rest tomorrow. But first, they have to tackle 214km from Avezzano to the city of Napoli, otherwise known as Naples in the English speaking world. 

A sprint is the likely finale. The last two times the race has come here we've seen both! Last year, Mads Pedersen was victorious from a sprint. But the year before it was Thomas De Gendt from a superstar packed breakaway. 

All the riders have signed on and are ready to go to the neutral start. Will the man in ciclamino take another stage win? Or can someone else take the win? Will the breakaway make it?

The jerseys today:

Pink, GC leader: Tadej Pogačar (SLO) UAE Team Emirates
Blue, KoM leader: Tadej Pogačar (SLO) UAE Team Emirates*
Ciclamino, Points leader: Jonathan Milan (ITA) Lidl-Trek
White, Best Young Rider: Cian Uijtdebroeks (BEL) Visma-Lease a Bike

*Worn by: Daniel Martínez (COL) Bora-Hansgrohe

The riders have started the neutral start. 

By Italian standards, the weather is quite cool by Italian standards. A very pleasant 21 degrees centigrade. That is 69.8 degrees fahrenheit, by the way. But it is glorious sunshine and perfect racing conditions. 3km to the official start. 

Ther jerseys and combative prize riders looking like they're about to drop a Eurovision banger... But, who will crack 'The Code' and take today's stage?

Puncture

We were about the start racing but Roel van Sintmaartensdijk (IWA) has a rear puncture. 

211km to go

We are racing! The flag has dropped and they're away for stage 9 of the Giro d'Italia 2024. Roel van Sintmaartensdijk (IWA) is back in the bunch after his puncture. Already 3km done. 

Attack

Pietrobon (PTK)
Maestri (PTK)

They are being chased by a VF Group-Bardiani CSF-Faizane rider, that is Tarozzi. 

This may well be the breakaway of the day as the peloton do not seem interested but as I say that some more moves come with EF Education-EasyPost and Arkea-B&B Hotels launching some moves. 

UAE Team Emirates, Soudal-QuickStep, Alpecin-Deceuninck and Ineos Grenadiers have blocked the peloton and don't seem to want to allow any more riders. 

Caught

Manuele Tarozzi (VBF)

Puncture

Ethan Vernon (IPT)

Alpecin-Deceuninck have taken over the pace setting for today's stage. 

200km to go

A few riders are trying to jump away but Alpecin-Deceuninck are not letting anything go. 

The Polti-Kometa duo of Maestri and Pietrobon have +1'15" on the peloton now as the pace starts to settle in the peloton. 

Maestri and Pietrobon are two super breakaway specialists. However, this break in particular is currently doomed. It is still a good day for the sponsors to get on the TV. Complete contrast to what was expected for today. But, maybe yesterday was just too hard. 

190km to go

The race has settled down and the gap goes above two minutes to the two riders up the road. 

One rider did not start today. The national champion of Kazakhstan, Alexey Lutsenko of Astana Qazaqstan. He was distanced yesterday but he only finished +2'21" down in 19th place. But he has decided to stop. He wasn't initially meant to ride this race and was a last minute addition after his win at the Giro d'Abruzzo last month. 

The two heroes in the break today... 

180km to go

This has really settled down with Alpecin-Deceuninck, Bora-Hansgrohe and Lidl-Trek are doing the work at the front. Gap at +2'12". 

We're just inside 100km until the first competition sprint of the day. It is the standard intermediate sprint that comes first in the town of Mondragone. 

170km to go

The gap is just staying around two minutes as the peloton have a real stranglehold on the two Polti-Kometa riders up the road. It is, at the moment, looking like a classic sprint day. It is just those final 40km that could throw the cat amongst the pigeons. 

Alpecin-Deceuninck using Jimmy Janssens as the main man to do the pacing for the moment. 

160km to go

Into the final 100 miles. +2'50" up to the break as Janssens (ADC) takes a natural break from the front of the bunch. 

Alpecin-Deceuninck still lead the peloton but Soudal-Quickstep, Arkea-Samsic, VF Group-Bardiani CSF-Faizane, Lidl-Trek, Bahrain Victorious and DSM-Firmenich-PostNL have all moved a rider onto their wheel.

The rest of the peloton let Janssens (ADC) role off the front as they try to slow the pace. He looked around, sat up and chatted on the radio to get advice from the team car. The gap up to the break has shot up to +3'39".

150km to go

The two Polti-Kometa guys are just tapping along. Maestri seems to be having a great time, smiling and waving. 

Attack

A new break is trying to form!

Ballerini (AST)
Milesi (MOV)
De Marchi (JAY)
D. Bais (PTK)

Nothing going just yet. 

It is wave after wave of attack in the peloton now. The riders on the move, though, are all smiling and laughing. A really bizarre moment in the day. Janssens (ADC) back on the front. 

Alpecin-Deceuninck are now sending riders on these moves with Hermans (ADC) following Sutterlin (TBV). 

Lidl-Trek now getting involved as well, along with Visma-Lease a Bike and Soudal-QuickStep as no-one wants to be left behind and be forced to chase. But, still nothing gets a gap. 

140km to go

The race currently going downhill so no moves are going. The gap to the break is now +2'30". 

The peloton now spreads across the road and the pace has gone out of the bunch completely. And the gap starts to climb for Maestri and Pietrobon of Polti-Kometa up the road. 

And the peloton has now gone back to what it was before the random attacks, like nothing happened. Very strange. 

130km to go

The gap is back above three minutes to the two leaders. 

There may be a light at the end of the tunnel for the breakaway in this photo. However, in a race sense, it doesn't seem like there's much hope. 

120km to go

So, yeah... Not sure what's going here... Alice in Wonderland? I don't remember the giant owl-man thing, though... 

The race is really settled back into the slow build after that sudden period of attacks about 30km ago. 

110km to go

Tempo has gone up again. Janssens (ADC) is still going on the front. What an effort it has been by him. Decathlon-AG2R have taken on the 2nd team in line spot, interestingly. 

Fun fact from Soudal-QuickStep...

100km to go

The gap has absolutely plummeted to the break now with the gap now at +1'34".

Around 15km to the first intermediate sprint.

The official Giro twitter page sums today up nicely... 

3km to the first intermediate sprint of the day.

Intermediate sprint

1. Petrobon (ITA) PTK 12pts
2. Maestri (ITA) PTK 8pts
3. Merlier (BEL) SOQ 6pts
4. Milan (ITA) LTK 5pts
5. Kooij (NED) TVL 4pts
6. Groves (AUS) ADC 3pts
7. Planckaert (BEL) ADC 2pts
8. Consonni (ITA) LTK 1pts

The race is now just over 20km to the InterGiro sprint. Same amount of points available, but also 3, 2 and 1 bonus seconds. 

The entirety of Alpecin-Deceuninck are on the front of the peloton now. It is still Janssens leading but he has now been joined by the rest of his teammates. 

70km to go

Alpecin-Deceuninck seem to want this over and done with as the time gap is down to +1'49" and the bunch is stretched right out. 

60km to go

6km to the InterGiro sprint.

Crash!

Garaint Thomas (IGD)
Max Schachmann (BOH)

Geraint Thomas (IGD) is straight back riding after checking his bike and now his four teammates are with him to bring him back. 

Attack

Stefan De Bod (EFE)
Ewen Costiou (ARK)

Quickly brought back. 

The InterGiro sprint has just happened, we're awaiting the full results. 

Geraint Thomas (IGD) is back in the peloton again. 

InterGiro sprint

1. Maestri (ITA) PTK 12pts 3"
2. Petrobon (ITA) PTK 8pts 2"
3. Groves (AUS) ADC 6pts 1"
4. Merlier (BEL) SOQ 5pts
5. Planckaert (BEL) ADC 4pts
6. Van Lerberghe (BEL) SOQ 3pts
7.Bayer (AUT) ADC 2pts
8. Kielich (BEL) ADC 1pt

50km to go

Just a +1'13" gap up to Meastri and Pietrobon from Polti-Kometa. 

Bahrain Victorious suddenly ramp the pace up massively with Arkea-B&B Hotels and UAE Team Emirates flanking them. Time gap to the break drops under a minute for the first time. 

Max Schachmann (BOH) makes it back to the peloton after his crash. 

Ineos Grenadiers, UAE Team Emirates, Groupama-FDJ, Arkea-B&B Hotels and Bahrain Victorious lead the peloton

Some good work by Ineos Grenadiers got Thomas back into the peloton and now he is right up to the front with Ganna leading their train. 

Dropped

Luke Plapp (JAY)

The Australian national champion has just lost contact with the peloton. Not ideal at all for him. 

40km to go

Onto the only categorised climb today, the Monte di Procida! The break have +1'02" gap. 

UAE Team Emirates, Movistar, Groupama-FDJ and Ineos Grenadiers lead onto the Monte di Procida back in the peloton. 

The pace isn't furious in the peloton and the teams have blocked the road with their trains. This will absolutely favour the sprinters. 

Dropped

Fabio Jakobsen (DFP)

Quinten Hermans (ADC) now leads the peloton. 

KoM

1. Pietrobon (ITA) PTK 3pts
2. Maestri (ITA) PTK 2pts
3. Hermans (BEL) ADC 1pt

Dropped

Merlier (SOQ)
Lund (DFP)
Dekker (ARK)

Pithie (GFC) has had a mechanical! He has suddenly appeared in the Merlier (SOQ) group at over a minute down on the peloton. 

Bonus sprint/30km to go

1. Pietrobon (ITA) PTK 3"
2. Maestri (ITA) PTK 2"
3. Hermans (BEL) ADC 1"

Paleni (GFC) is working hard for Pithie (GFC) with Walscheid (JAY) on the back. They are back in the cars but they're a minute back. 

Attack

Julian Alaphilippe (SOQ)

He is being followed by an Alpecin-Deceuninck rider, Nicola Conci. 

Caught

Alaphilippe (SOQ) and Conci (ADC) catch Pietrobon (PTK) and Maestri (PTK). 

Counter attack

Kevin Vermaerke (DFP)
Lewis Askey (GFC)

They make it six at the front. Two more are trying to bridge. 

It is definitely Nicola Conci in there for Alpecin-Deceuninck.

Counter attack

Andrea Piccolo (EFE)
Ewen Costiou (ARK)

The latter flies passed the Italian to try and join the six leaders. 

It is Lidl-Trek who now lead the peloton with Jonathan Milan right up there looking really good. 

Just +16" between the newly formed break and the peloton. 

Costiou (ARK) with a brilliant ride and he bridges across to the leaders. Seven riders now clear with +14" gap to the Lidl-Trek peloton. Piccolo (EFE) has been caught. 

20km to go

Onto the penultimate climb of the day. This, as well as the final climb, isn't categorised. 

Attack

Costiou (ARK)
Alaphilippe (SOQ)

Caught

Conci (ADC)
Pietrobon (PTK)
Askey (GFC)

Now Conci is caught, Alpecin-Deceuninck come back to the front alongside Lidl-Trek as Alaphilippe (SOQ) and Costiou (ARK) have +26" on the bunch. 

Caught

Vermaerke (DFP)
Maestri (PTK)

Costiou (ARK) and Alaphilippe (SOQ) have +20" on the peloton led by Alpecin-Deceuninck and Lidl-Trek. 

Interestingly, Bahrain Victorious have also moved up. This is for Phil Bauhaus. 

The road surface is absolutely horrendous and the crowd is in the road. The riders not happy with some of the crowd that are way too close. 

10km to go

Just +7" gap now for the break as Caleb Ewan (JAY) has been moved up by his team. 

Onto the final 3.5km climb of the day. 

Attack

Julian Alaphilippe (SOQ)

Ewen Costiou (ARK) is dropped and the former world champion goes solo and has +10" gap. 

Caught

Costiou (ARK)

Stuyven leads for Lidl-Trek ahead of Theuns, Milan and Consonni. 

Attack

Jhonatan Narvaez (IGD)

He flies passed Alaphilippe (SOQ) and goes solo. Several tried to follow but couldn't stay with the acceleration. 

Alaphilippe (SOQ) caught and immediately dropped. 

Jhonatan Narváez (IGD) is being chased by Alexander Kamp (TUD) but the peloton is not far behind and the former Danish champion is caught bu Aurelien Paret-Peintre (DAT) who is working for Andrea Vendrame (DAT). 

5km to go

Visma-Lease a Bike leading the peloton with Jhonatan Narváez (IGD) holding a +6" gap. 

Crash

Martin Marcellusi (VBF)

And a Tudor rider down as well. 

4km to go. Jhonatan Narváez (IGD) has +7" on the Jayco-AlUla led peloton. 

3km to go. Consonni (LTK) now working hard but Jhonatan Narváez (IGD) still has +7" gap on these tight and twisty roads in Napoli. 

2km to go for the Ecuadorian national road race champion. Jhonatan Narváez (IGD) is absolutely flying. The gap is now +9"!

UAE Team Emirates moving up with Pogačar (UAD) looking after Molano (UAD)!

Flamme Rouge!

Jhonatan Narváez (IGD) has +12" now. Lidl-Trek now going flat out for Milan. 

500 metres to go for Jhonatan Narváez (IGD) with Lidl-Trek frantically chasing behind. 

Olav Kooij (TVL) wins stage 9 of the Giro d'Italia 2024! That was a breathless finale. Goodness me. 

Olav Kooij (TVL) wins his first Grand Tour stage by half a wheel over Jonathan Milan (LTK). 

Tadej Pogačar (UAD) playing a key part in that chase to catch Jhonatan Narváez (IGD) as his big turn brought him within catching distance and then Simone Consonni (LTK) did a brilliant job for Milan. Kooij was perfectly placed, though. And he got by Milan in the last 10 metres.

Stage 9 top 10

1. Olav Kooij (NED) Visma-Lease a Bike 4:44'22"
2. Jonathan Milan (ITA) Lidl-Trek
3. Juan Sebastian Molano (COL) UAE Team Emirates
4. Alberto Dainese (ITA) Tudor
5. Danny van Poppel (NED) Bora-Hansgrohe
6. Madis Mihkels (EST) Intermarche-Wanty
7. Kaden Groves (AUS) Alpecin-Deceuninck
8. Andrea Vendrame (ITA) Decathlon-AG2R La Mondiale
9. Davide Ballerini (ITA) Astana Qazaqstan
10. Max Kanter (GER) Astana Qazaqstan, all S.T.

General Classification at the end of the first week

1. Tadej Pogačar (SLO) UAE Team Emirates 32:59'04"
2. Daniel Martínez (COL) Bora-Hansgrohe +2'40"
3. Geraint Thomas (GBR) Ineos Grenadiers +2'58"
4. Ben O'Connor (AUS) Decathlon-AG2R La Mondiale +3'39"
5. Cian Uijtdebroeks (BEL) Visma-Lease a Bike +4'02"
6. Antonio Tiberi (ITA) Bahrain Victorious +4'23"
7. Lorenzo Fortunato (ITA) Astana Qazaqstan +5'15"
8. Einer Rubio (COL) Movistar +5'28"
9. Thymen Arensman (NED) Ineos Grenadiers +5'30"
10. Jan Hirt (CZE) Soudal-QuickStep +5'53"

Have a read of our full race report after stage 9 and the end of the first week in the Giro d'Italia. Complete with quotes from stage winner, Olav Kooij (TVL). Click the link below...

>>> Giro d'Italia: Olav Kooij powers to stage 9 sprint victory in Naples 

Jerseys going into the first rest day of the race:

Pink, GC leader: Tadej Pogačar (SLO) UAE Team Emirates
Ciclamino, Points leader: Jonathan Milan (ITA) Lidl-Trek
Blue KoM leader: Tadej Pogačar (SLO) UAE Team Emirates*
White, Best Young Rider: Cian Uijtdebroeks (BEL) Visma-Lease a Bike

*Worn by: Daniel Martínez (COL) Bora-Hansgrohe

That brings our live updates of stage 9 of the Giro d'Italia to a close, not to mention the end of the first week of racing. Rest day updates to come tomorrow so make sure you still check out the website for the best cycling news coverage. But for now, have a lovely rest of your weekend. Goodbye.