Giro d'Italia 2023: Jonathan Milan powers to Stage 2 win after late crash tears through peloton

As is often the way on flat stages of the Giro d’Italia: nothing happens for most of the day – then everything happens at the death. And so it proved on the first road stage of the race with a crash 4km from the finish holding up sprinters and GC riders alike before Italy’s Jonathan Milan (Bahrain Victorious) won the reduced bunch sprint to secure a maiden win on his debut.

After favourite Mads Pedersen (Trek-Segafredo) was caught behind the crash, towering 22-year-old Milan powered from the wheel of Australia’s Kaden Groves (Alpecin-Deceuninck) to take a surprise win by over a bike length on the Dutchman David Dekker (Arkea-Samsic) and Groves. Ad Belgium’s Arne Marit (Intermarche-Circus-Wanty) and Germany’s Marius Mayrhofer (Team DSM) completed the top five after the likes of Pascal Ackermann (UAE Team Emirates), Fernando Gaviria (Movistar) and Michael Matthews (Jayco-AlUla) faded on the home straight.

Giro d'Italia'It is a tiny gap' — McEwen says Evenepoel lead at Giro is 'nothing'5 HOURS AGO Belgium’s Remco Evenepoel (Soudal-QuickStep) retained the pink jersey after avoiding the melee brought about by the crash. But Britain’s Tao Geoghegan Hart (Ineos Grenadiers) was not so lucky – dropping from fourth place to eighth in the general classification – while veteran sprinter Mark Cavendish (Astana-Qazaqstan) hit the deck after being struck from behind.

World champion Evenepoel retained his 22-second lead over Italy’s Filippo Ganna (Ineos Grenadiers) with Portugal’s Joao Almeida (UAE Team Emirates) in third place a further seven seconds back. After Geoghegan Hart’s mishap, Switzerland’s Stefan Kung (Groupama-FDJ) rises to fourth, with Primoz Roglic (Jumbo-Visma) up to fifth – both 43 seconds down on the summit.