Photo finish as Arnaud Demare doubles up on Stage 6, Mark Cavendish blows up in final metres at Giro d’Italia

A day somewhat devoid of drama sprung into life on the streets of Scalea with a bunch sprint deluxe that saw Arnaud Demare (Groupama-FDJ) deny Caleb Ewan (Lotto Soudal) by the slenderest of margins – and left Mark Cavendish (Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl) slapping his handlebars in frustration. Australia’s Ewan looked to have won his shoulder-to-shoulder battle with Britain’s Cavendish on the home straight before Demare emerged from their slipstream with an emphatic burst, a clinical deviation and a superior bike lunge that made him France’s all-time leading stage winner in La Corsa Rosa.

Ad/> Demare’s seventh career win in the Giro was arguably his best, coming as it did after a frantic few seconds in which he was boxed in against the barriers by his own leadout man, Jacopo Guarnieri, before being forced to dart across the road to find a gap and emerge from the wheel of Ewan, for whom the win looked inevitable. /> Giro d'Italia‘For my son’ – Cavendish blows kiss down camera2 HOURS AGO All this while Colombia’s Fernando Gaviria shook a fist in anger after the UAE Team Emirates sprinter found himself stuck in a Team DSM sandwich between Cees Bol and Alberto Dainese at the conclusion of the 192km stage from Palmi.

Eritrea’s Biniam Girmay (Intermarche-Wanty-Gobert) and Italy’s Giacomo Nizzolo (Israel-Premier Tech) completed the top five as Spain’s Juan Pedro Lopez (Trek-Segafredo) retained the leader’s pink jersey in the hazy late afternoon sun on the Calabrian coast as the peloton came home almost an hour behind the slowest estimated finish time. Giro d'Italia GC standings Giro d'Italia Stage 6 as it happened — Demare doubles up after Rosa's long solo break With the race hitting the Italian mainland for the first time off the