"I went full gas till the end" - Edoardo Zambanini surprises with close 2nd on stage 5 of the 2025 Giro d'Italia

Mads Pedersen powered to his third victory of the race on stage 5 of the 2025 Giro d'Italia. Somewhat surprisingly, the Dane was made to work incredibly hard for his win by Bahrain - Victorious' Edoardo Zambanini, with the Italian coming within a bike's length of what would have been a stunning stage success.

"In the end I did also my part, my job till the last kick. But then I kept continuing and I went full gas till the end," reflected the 24-year-old in his post-stage interview with Cycling Pro Net. "And in the last sprint here, I felt good — I have good legs. So, me, I really like this type of arrival and I give everything."

With Zambanini still searching for the first pro win of his career, it's fair to say that not many had predicted the Bahrain - Victorious rider to be in the mix for the win on stage 5. Given that the pace was so high on the final rise to the finishing line though, all kinds of riders were brought to the front of the bunch - Zambanini among them. "Roglic tried, but the tempo was so high, so it was difficult to do the gap there," he concludes. "I was always in the top 15, maximum 20, with Damiano Caruso and my teammates. And then I gave everything here."