Giro d’Italia: Ballerini sprints in Messina

Day five of the race had just one hurdle on the course – Portella Mandrazzi, a 19.6km climb which was to be tackled by the riders midway along the route travelling to Messina, where the peloton returned after five years – but it ended up playing a huge role in the final outcome.
That was because several teams decided to ramp up the pace seven kilometers from the top of the ascent, putting many sprinters on their limit and forcing them to spend a lot of energy in order to try and hang in there. Mark Cavendish did his best to remain in the bunch, but was distanced on the steepest part of the ascent, and despite a fully committed team that chased hard on the descent to reduce the gap and bring him back in contention, it soon became clear it won’t happen as the numbers were on the peloton’s side.
Sprint responsibility passed onto the shoulders of Davide Ballerini, and the Italian from Cantù came close of scoring another top 3 for the Wolfpack at the Giro, concluding just outside the podium the mass gallop won by Arnaud Demare (Groupama-FDJ) on the long finishing straight in Messina. Mauri Vansevenant came across the line in the same time and remained fifth in the overall standings ahead of Thursday’s stage, which will see the riders return to the mainland.
Photo credit: ©Tim De Waele / Getty Images
Race details
1 |
Arnaud Démare Groupama - FDJ |
4:03:56 |
2 |
Fernando Gaviria Rendon UAE Team Emirates |
0:00 |
3 |
Giacomo Nizzolo Israel - Premier Tech |
0:00 |
4 |
Davide Ballerini
Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl Team |
0:00 |
5 |
Biniam Girmay Hailu Intermarché - Wanty - Gobert Matériaux |
0:00 |
6 |
Phil Bauhaus Bahrain - Victorious |
0:00 |
7 |
Alberto Dainese Team DSM |
0:00 |
8 |
Natnael Tesfatsion Drone Hopper - Androni Giocattoli |
0:00 |
9 |
Edward Theuns Trek - Segafredo |
0:00 |
10 |
Simone Consonni Cofidis |
0:00 |
25 |
Mauri Vansevenant
Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl Team |
0:00 |
153 |
Mauro Schmid
Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl Team |
11:57 |
154 |
Bert Van Lerberghe
Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl Team |
11:57 |
156 |
Michael Mørkøv Christensen
Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl Team |
11:57 |
157 |
Mark Cavendish
Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl Team |
11:57 |
169 |
James Knox
Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl Team |
11:57 |
171 |
Pieter Serry
Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl Team |
11:57 |
1 |
Juan Pedro López Pérez Trek - Segafredo |
18:21:03 |
2 |
Lennard Kämna BORA - hansgrohe |
0:39 |
3 |
Rein Taaramäe Intermarché - Wanty - Gobert Matériaux |
0:58 |
4 |
Simon Yates Team BikeExchange - Jayco |
1:42 |
5 |
Mauri Vansevenant
Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl Team |
1:47 |
6 |
Wilco Kelderman BORA - hansgrohe |
1:55 |
7 |
João Almeida UAE Team Emirates |
1:58 |
8 |
Pello Bilbao López de Armentia Bahrain - Victorious |
2:00 |
9 |
Richie Porte INEOS Grenadiers |
2:04 |
10 |
Romain Bardet Team DSM |
2:06 |
67 |
Mauro Schmid
Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl Team |
16:12 |
84 |
James Knox
Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl Team |
20:51 |
151 |
Davide Ballerini
Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl Team |
35:38 |
169 |
Mark Cavendish
Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl Team |
52:58 |
170 |
Michael Mørkøv Christensen
Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl Team |
53:02 |
171 |
Bert Van Lerberghe
Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl Team |
53:11 |
172 |
Pieter Serry
Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl Team |
53:31 |
1 |
Arnaud Démare Groupama - FDJ |
94 pt |
2 |
Biniam Girmay Hailu Intermarché - Wanty - Gobert Matériaux |
72 pt |
3 |
Fernando Gaviria Rendon UAE Team Emirates |
67 pt |
4 |
Mathieu van der Poel Alpecin-Fenix |
62 pt |
5 |
Mark Cavendish
Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl Team |
53 pt |
6 |
Giacomo Nizzolo Israel - Premier Tech |
39 pt |
7 |
Filippo Tagliani Drone Hopper - Androni Giocattoli |
36 pt |
8 |
Pello Bilbao López de Armentia Bahrain - Victorious |
27 pt |
9 |
Lennard Kämna BORA - hansgrohe |
22 pt |
10 |
Magnus Cort Nielsen EF Education-EasyPost |
21 pt |
15 |
Davide Ballerini
Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl Team |
18 pt |
37 |
Mauri Vansevenant
Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl Team |
6 pt |
46 |
Bert Van Lerberghe
Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl Team |
4 pt |
50 |
Mauro Schmid
Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl Team |
2 pt |
1 |
Lennard Kämna BORA - hansgrohe |
41 pt |
2 |
Mirco Maestri EOLO-Kometa |
18 pt |
3 |
Juan Pedro López Pérez Trek - Segafredo |
18 pt |
4 |
Rein Taaramäe Intermarché - Wanty - Gobert Matériaux |
12 pt |
5 |
Sylvain Moniquet Lotto Soudal |
9 pt |
6 |
Mattia Bais Drone Hopper - Androni Giocattoli |
8 pt |
7 |
Mauri Vansevenant
Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl Team |
6 pt |
8 |
Jaakko Hänninen AG2R Citroën Team |
6 pt |
9 |
Pascal Eenkhoorn Jumbo-Visma |
5 pt |
10 |
Rick Zabel Israel - Premier Tech |
5 pt |
1 |
Juan Pedro López Pérez Trek - Segafredo |
18:21:03 |
2 |
Mauri Vansevenant
Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl Team |
1:47 |
3 |
João Almeida UAE Team Emirates |
1:58 |
4 |
Thymen Arensman Team DSM |
2:15 |
5 |
Santiago Buitrago Sánchez Bahrain - Victorious |
2:18 |
6 |
Iván Ramiro Sosa Cuervo Movistar Team |
3:05 |
7 |
Pavel Sivakov INEOS Grenadiers |
3:14 |
8 |
Stefano Oldani Alpecin-Fenix |
3:35 |
9 |
Simon Carr EF Education-EasyPost |
4:08 |
10 |
Tobias Foss Jumbo-Visma |
4:14 |
23 |
Mauro Schmid
Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl Team |
16:12 |
1 | BORA - hansgrohe | 55:06:42 |
2 | Intermarché - Wanty - Gobert Matériaux | 2:17 |
3 | Trek - Segafredo | 2:47 |
4 | Bahrain - Victorious | 3:03 |
5 | INEOS Grenadiers | 3:21 |
6 | Team BikeExchange - Jayco | 3:26 |
7 | Movistar Team | 6:03 |
8 | Jumbo-Visma | 6:39 |
9 | Team DSM | 8:06 |
10 | Astana Qazaqstan Team | 9:43 |