Stage 5: Praia a Mare › Benevento – 233km
The Giro’s fifth stage, much like Stage 4, won’t be easy to predict. There is only one small categorized climb on the day and it comes very early in the stage, but the road to Benevento does have some hills along the way, and this is a very long stage at 233 kilometers. More importantly, the finish is tricky: the final kilometer is a cobbled ascent at around 3.4%.
All those features will make Stage 5 a tough one to control, and even if things come down to a bunch gallop in the peloton, it’s no guarantee that the marquee sprinters will be at their best on a finishing climb like this.
Should the peloton reel in any long-range attackers before the line, Marcel Kittel would probably be the obvious pick for a sprint, but he might not be my first choice. He is looking more versatile these days than he used to, but I still think this finish might be a bit tough for the Etixx rider.
Arnaud Démare, on the other hand, should like his chances. He’s done well on slightly uphill finishes in the past, he can handle cobblestones, and he doesn’t mind a long day in the saddle (as evidenced by his Milano-Sanremo victory). He also looks very good right now.
André Greipel, who has recently shown some ability in the Spring Classics, is another rider who might be able to use the tricky finish to his advantage. The same could be said for Giacomo Nizzolo, who loves the longer days.
Sacha Modolo is another sprinter who may fare well at the finish, while Caleb Ewan and Elia Viviani are both quick enough that maybe the small cobbled climb won’t matter.
Diego Ulissi, Matteo Trentin, and Sonny Colbrelli could be in the mix if the purer sprinters are dropped from bunch. So could Ramunas Navardauskas.
And if the stage goes to a breakaway, don’t be surprised if Lotto-Soudal takes the victory: Tim Wellens and Adam Hansen should both like the look of Stage 5.
VeloHuman Stage 5 Favorites
1. Arnaud Démare | 2. André Greipel | 3. Marcel Kittel