07/05/2023

Jonathan Milan sprints to victory after crash with just over 3km to go causes chaos at the Giro d'Italia

Jonathan Milan takes victory on the second stage of the Giro d'Italia from a much-reduced bunch sprint after a big crash with just over 3kms to go had caused chaos.

After Remco Evenepoel put on a blasting time-trial performance in the opening stage, stage 2 was expected to allow the GC riders to recollect themselves. A day expected to be for the sprinters, a five-rider group including Paul Lapeira (AG2R Citroën Team), Thomas Champion (Cofidis), Mattia Bais (EOLO-Kometa), Alessandro Verre (Team Arkéa Samsic) and Stefano Gandin (Team Corratec - Selle Italia).

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As the breakaway began the day's first categorised climb, the young Italian Verre looked determined to claim the points for himself. Perhaps he showed his inexperience, however, he made his move too early and could not successfully hold the rest of the riders off with Lapeira taking the maximum points.

With his spirit seemingly broken after not taking the King of the Mountains points, Verre dropped back and soon after was back in the peloton.

Lapeira continued his dominance of the breakaway on the classified climbs and guaranteed that the King of the Mountains jersey will be on his shoulders tomorrow.

With just under 39km to the remaining breakaway riders were swallowed up by the peloton meaning a first bunch sprint of the 2023 Giro d'Italia now seemed inevitable.

Trek - Segafredo for Mads Pedersen and Team Jayco AlUla for Michael Matthews were among the teams battling it out for the front of the peloton as the different sprint trains began to try and position their fast men.

Sadly for many including Mark Cavendish a big group of riders was taken out in a crash as the road narrowed with just under 4km to go.

Of course with the crash coming just a few hundred metres prior to the 3km to go marker, time gaps were going to be happening for anyone stuck behind the crash.

With a much-reduced bunch now battling it out for the stage win, it was Fernando Gaviria who led the sprint out. Jonathan Milan however came around and took a brilliant victory.