Police identify two men after dangerous behaviour roadside sparked fury at Giro d'Italia

Police have identified two spectators who appeared to interfere in the Giro d'Italia, causing a dangerous situation that could have led to a crash on Thursday's Stage 6 to Napoli.

With the incident occurring roughly 50 kilometers from the finish, television footage showed two young men seemingly attempting to step into the path of a peloton at full speed, with one of the men making pushing gestures that saw at least one rider react angrily.

While there was no immediate crash from the incident, the images were alarming. Riders were already navigating narrow road furniture, corners, changing weather and the usual stress of a sprint stage, with a technical finale still to come in Napoli.

Any movement from spectators towards the road can have serious consequences, particularly when riders are travelling at speed and fighting for position. The reaction from the breakaway made clear how dangerous the moment felt from inside the race.

It came just as the race was moving through the intermediate sprint section at speed. Manuele Tarozzi, Mattia Bais, Martin Marcellusi and Luca Vergallito were still ahead in the breakaway at the time, though their advantage had already been reduced by the sprint teams.

According to Rai News, police reported a 19-year-old and a 20-year-old to the judicial authorities for endangering the safety of athletes. One of the men is reported to have a criminal record for robbery.

Both were reported by police and will be issued a banishment order, the report says.

Fans and riders alike will hope that Friday's seventh stage won't witness such concerning scenes. Riders take on the first major mountain-top-finish of the Giro as the mighty Blockhaus looms large.

However, with 245 kilometers and some difficult climbs to come before the final ascent, it's not a simple day for general classification hopefuls before the expected fireworks come in the finale.