Stage 5 has been one of the most chaotic days in recent Giro d’Italia history. The rainy, cold and hail weather added to the chaos and Giulio Ciccone has lost the race lead. After rain all day and on slippy roads, Arrieta crashed, watching Eulalio disappear up the road with 13km to go. But seven kilometres later Eulalio came down and the race was back on – with more drama to come. Arrieta overcooked a wet bend with two kilometres left, which looked like it ended his day. But he managed to catch a hapless and exhausted Eulalio in sight of the line and then outsprint him. Consolation for Eulalio as he takes over the Maglia Rosa.
“I don’t really know how I feel. It was a crazy day. With around 50m to go, on the steep climb, I went all in with Arrieta for the victory. From there, the race became super crazy, especially on the descent. He crashed, then I went alone thinking about the stage and the pink jersey, but then I also crashed and we came back together again. In the final, we both went all in for the victory. I tried to sprint, but in the end it was not really a sprint because we were both going so slowly after such a hard day. Of course, I wanted the stage win, but I am super happy with the pink jersey. Last year I arrived in the world tour, and now I am wearing the Maglia Rosa at the Giro d’Italia. It is crazy.
The weather was really intense today. Normally I like days like this, but today it was too much. It was not only rain and cold – there was also hail, and in that moment it was really painful on the body. But in the final, you don’t think too much. You are just suffering, trying to stay focused, and thinking about the victory.”
-Afonso Eulalio
“I didn’t think it was lost. I needed to try to the end. I was completely empty in the last kilometres and I know Eulalio is the same. We both deserved the victory but in the end I got it. When I lost him at two kilometres I thought it was not possible to win, but I kept pushing and saw that he could not go faster than me. When I got his wheel it’s like ‘f***, maybe I can win’.
-Igor Arrieta
