The fifth stage of the Tour of Italy, relying Atripalda and Salerno this Wednesday, was a new chance for the sprinters of Intermarché-Circus-Wanty, after a promising start with a double top ten in the first bunch sprint.
But the rainy meteorological conditions influenced the final of this stage, with several crashes hindering the preparation of the sprint. A first big crash with 7 kilometer to go split the peloton, which was reformed 3 kilometer before the finish.
Sprinters Niccolò Bonifazio and Arne Marit returned to the front of the peloton, but another crash before the red flag brought Marit down. Luckily the fourth rider of the second stage crossed the finish line without major damage. Even though he was hindered by another incident in the final hectometer, Bonifazio stayed upright to cross the finish in tenth place.
« The rain all day made the roads particularly slippery, causing a dangerous final of the stage today. With 7 kilometer to go, in the last corner, I was involved in a crash for the first time. I was soon back on the bike and managed to return to the first group, after which I immediately went to my teammate Laurenz Rex. But not much later, Hugh Carthy crashed just in front of me. Unfortunately I could not avoid him and I crashed. It is a missed opportunity, but above all I’m happy that there’s no serious damage. »
