Igor Arrieta of Spain won the rain-soaked fifth stage of the Giro d'Italia after a fierce breakaway battle with Portugal's Afonso Eulalio on May 13 in Potenza, Italy [1, 2]. The 203-kilometer stage saw the two riders escape from the peloton about 50 km from the finish and maintain a six to seven minute gap over the chasing group in heavy rain [1, 2].
Both Arrieta and Eulalio crashed on slick roads but quickly remounted their bikes and continued pushing to the finish [1, 2]. Arrieta, who rides for UAE Team Emirates-XRG and is the son of former pro Jose Luis Arrieta, claimed the stage win. "I don't know what to say. This victory means a lot to me. I just thought it was not lost, and I need to try to the end," Arrieta said. "I was completely empty in last kilometres, but I know Afonso is the same - we both deserved the victory" [1].
Despite finishing second on the stage, Eulalio of Bahrain Victorious took over the overall lead (maglia rosa), holding nearly a three-minute margin over Arrieta in the general classification [1]. Race favorites now trail the leaders by over six minutes following stage five, giving both breakaway riders a significant advantage [1].
Earlier in the race, UAE Team Emirates-XRG suffered setbacks in stage two when they lost three top riders, including Adam Yates, to crashes [1]. The day before stage five, Jhonatan Narvaez won stage four after a sprint finish in Cosenza [1].
The Giro d'Italia continues with stage six tomorrow. Riders and teams will look to close the gap on Eulalio as the race moves into its crucial second week.
