Giro d’Italia 2023: Kaden Groves wins Stage 5, Remco Evenepoel crashes twice, Mark Cavendish slides across finish

As the incessant rain lashed down from start to finish in Campania, it was anything but dog days for Remco Evenepoel (Soudal Quick-Step) in Stage 5 of the Giro d’Italia. The world champion crashed twice – once after a stray dog ran in front of the peloton and again just 2.5km from the finish – as the terrible conditions took their toll on the peloton.

Another crash 7km from the finish sparked a frantic chase back into contention for the pink jersey Andreas Leknessund (Team DSM) and Evenepoel’s big rival Primoz Roglic (Jumbo-Visma). The subsequent Evenepoel crash further whittled down the pack ahead of a chaotic reduced bunch sprint in the coastal town of Salerno.

Ad Australia’s Kaden Groves (Alpecin-Deceuninck) took the spoils ahead of Italy’s Jonathan Milan (Bahrain Victorious) and Denmark’s Mads Pedersen (Trek-Segafredo). But the finish was marred by yet another dramatic crash after Britain’s Mark Cavendish (Astana-Qazaqstan) had his front wheel clipped by the rear wheel of Italy’s Alberto Dainese (Team DSM) just before the finish.

Giro d'ItaliaEvenepoel crashes after dog runs into road in shocking moment5 HOURS AGO The British champion has only just relaunched his sprint after being clipped from behind when Dainese appeared to veer across the road – the sudden contact sending the veteran sprinter sprawling over the line for a fifth place he will never forget. In the subsequent melee, Filippo Fiorelli (Green Project-Bardiani) was forced into the barriers at speed, while another Italian, Andrea Vendrame (AG2R Citroen), ran out of road and was brought down so badly he required medical attention.