Stage 6

The road

At the start

Landa gone, San Giacomo ahead

Mikel Landa is in hospital rather than in the race, taken down by roadside furniture four kilometres from Cattolica — a podium contender lost on the flattest day of the week. De Marchi keeps pink, 42 seconds over Vervaeke, with Vlasov and Evenepoel the best-placed favourites at around a minute and a half. Today: 3,500 metres of climbing and the first summit finish.

How it was won

1. 173 km to go

   The stage catches fire early

   In wet and windy conditions the race bursts into life between the two mid-stage climbs, long before the mountain that is supposed to decide it.

2. 260 km to go

   Four left out front

   Mohorič, Mäder, Mollema and Cataldo are all that remain of the escape, and the De Marchi group — pink jersey included — has been ridden nine minutes out of contention.

3. 316 km to go

   Onto San Giacomo

   The leaders start the 15.5km climb 2:45 clear. Mohorič sacrifices himself for two kilometres before handing over to his young teammate, and Ganna drags Ineos up the lower slopes as the rain finally eases.

4. 44 km to go

   Bernal announces himself

   Four kilometres from the top, with the group down to thirty, Bernal launches and instantly wipes out his own teammate's tempo. Ciccone and Evenepoel scramble onto him; a kilometre later he kicks again, and this time the Giro sees what a fully fit Egan Bernal looks like for the first time since 2019.

5. 51 km to go

   Colle San Giacomo

   Mäder rides clear of Mollema and Cataldo to win from the break, while behind him Valter of Groupama-FDJ becomes the first Hungarian ever to wear the maglia rosa.

The result