On this Thursday 15th of May, Taco van der Hoorn kept the suspense alive until the very end of the sixth stage of the Tour of Italy, the longest of this edition, thanks to another breakaway that seems to be his specialty.
Already present in the first breakaway of the Giro, Taco van der Hoorn once again showed his courage. With over 225 kilometers between Potenza and Naples and a route favoring the sprinters, only Enzo Paleni (FDJ) joined his initiative. The duo built up a lead of nearly five minutes in the hilly early part of the race as the rain began to fall.
Within the chasing peloton, the soaked roads led to a massive crash around 75 kilometers from the finish, involving half of the Intermarché-Wanty team: sprinter Gerben Thijssen, his lead-out man Gijs Van Hoecke, former white jersey wearer Francesco Busatto, and the most seriously injured Dion Smith, who was forced to abandon the race.
Following this incident, the race was temporarily neutralized for over half an hour. The leading duo then restarted with a 50-second advantage. Putting on a real show, Taco van der Hoorn and Paleni managed to resist until the final two kilometers before being caught by the sprinters’ trains in the streets of Naples, bringing an end to a 200-kilometer adventure at the front of the race.
"We anticipated that this sixth long stage would be difficult to control, especially the finale. The predicted rain also favored the breakaway. That's why I seized my opportunity right from the start. Initially, I was part of a larger group that was caught. The moment we were caught was the ideal time to try again. Unfortunately, only Paleni came with me. We rode at a slower pace, hoping that someone else from the peloton would bridge the gap, but in the end, only Fortunato briefly joined us. We then conserved as much energy as possible for the final hour of racing. With a 50-second lead and 60 kilometers to go, nobody believed in our chances. However, we gave it our all, and it would have been incredibly close for the win if we hadn't been stopped by protesters with a ribbon across the road in the final 3 kilometers. I'm very disappointed about that, but at the same time, my thoughts are with all the riders involved in the crashes today, especially my teammate Dion, who unfortunately cannot continue the Giro. I wish everyone a good recovery."
Fabien Cardinale (Team Doctor): “Today's stage saw four Intermarché-Wanty riders involved in crashes: Francesco Busatto, Gerben Thijssen, Dion Smith, and Gijs Van Hoecke. The initial medical evaluations are reassuring, revealing no major injuries, no lacerations requiring sutures, and no signs of concussion or fractures. The majority of their injuries are superficial, consisting of scrapes and contusions. Dion Smith sustained the most notable injury, affecting his hip. Despite demonstrating good hip mobility, pain upon applying pressure to the pedals due to a contusion has compelled him to abandon the race. We will continue to monitor their recovery closely over the next few days."
