The prize for the most hard-fought and perhaps least likely victory of the Giro d'Italia this year will surely go to the winner of stage five, Igor Arrieta.
The UAE Team Emirates-XRG rider romped to the team's second win at the end of a very wet, very hilly 203km day to Potenza. Arrieta's win, which was the team's second in two days, came after a two-up breakaway that had been in turns celebratory, heart-breaking, and physically painful.
His partner, Portugal's Alfonso Eulálio of Bahrain Victorious, who more than once could have been almost sure of victory, ultimately had to make do with second place – though the maglia rosa must surely rank among the best consolation prizes available in bike racing.
After rain all day and on supremely slippy roads as they descended towards the finish, first Arrieta crashed, watching his partner disappear up the road with 13km to go. But seven kilometres later Eulálio came down and the race was back on – but far from over. Arrieta overcooked a wet bend with two kilometres left, which looked certain to have ended his day. But he managed to claw back his disadvantage to catch a hapless and exhausted Eulálio in slight of the line and then outsprint him.
Speaking after the race, a cold and emotional Arrieta told media:
"I don't know what to say. I'm really happy to achieve this victory. It means a lot for me because of the crash and the teammates that went home. The Giro is special for me.
When he crashed at 13km to go, his race was far from over in his mind, he said.
"I didn't think it was lost. I needed to try to the end. I was completely empty in the last kilometres and I know Eulálio is the same. We both deserved the victory but in the end I got it.
"When I lost him at two kilometres I thought it was not possible [to win], but I kept pushing and saw that he could not go faster than me. When I got his wheel it's like 'f***, maybe I can win'.
He added: "I was coming to [the Giro] help and to have some opportunities. Today was a good day, and in the end it was a perfect day. I want to say thank you to my girlfriend and my family, and also my grandad."
How it happened
Starting at Praia a Mare on Italy's south-western coast, stage five took the riders well inland to Potenza, 203km distant, over two distinct clusters of climbs – one near the beginning and one near the end.
With the first riders going clear over the early cat-three climb of Prestieri, a 13-rider break quickly built, including Arrieta and Eulálio, as well as Ben Turner (Netcompany-Ineos), Victor Campanaerts (Visma-Lease a Bike), yesterday's stage winner Jhonatan Narvaez (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) and stage two winner Thomas Silva (XDS-Astana).
The gap grew steadily for much of the middle part of the race, reaching more than three minutes by the 125km mark, though falling to two minutes as the second-cat Monte Grande di Viggiana – the second and final classified climb of the day, though absolutely not the final climb – approached.
With 55km remaining and at the foot of the climb, Arrieta attacked from the break, drawing out a gap of a minute and more over the breakaway. He was joined shortly afterwards by Eulálio, and though they didn't know it, the stage was set.
The peloton behind might have been expected to make inroads on the pair over the climb. Instead, dishevelled and disinterested, they let them go. Two minutes became three and, with 35km to go, four; numbers that only kept rising. That, despite the incongruous sight of maglia rosa Giulio Ciccone (Lidl-Trek) riding on the front of a very reduced peloton, apparently in service of GC-focused team-mate Derek Gee-West, who was also present.
On the downhill approach to Potenza, fate – or was it the race itself? – began to tease Arrieta and Eulálio in turns with glory and heartbreak, only to turn the tables and start again. When Arrieta finally did catch his rival with 400m to go – and then outsprint him – both riders had given more than they imagined they would have to today. But they'd probably both say it was worth it.
Results
Giro d'Italia 2026, stage 5: Praia a Mare > Potenza, 203km
1. Igor Arrieta (Esp) UAE Team Emirates-XRG, in 5:07:51
2. Afonso Eulálio (Por) Bahrain Victorious, +2s
3. Guillermo Thomas Silva (Uru) XDS Astana, +51s
4. Lorenzo Milesi (Ita) Movistar, +1:29
5. Christian Scaroni (Ita) XDS Astana, +1:30
6. Gianmarco Garofoli (Ita) Soudal Quick-Step, at same time
7. Koen Bouwman (Ned) Jayco AlUla, +3:11
8. Johannes Kulset (Nor) Uno-X Mobility, +3:13
9. Andrea Raccagni Noviero (Ita) Soudal Quick-Step, +3:29
10. Ludovico Crescioli (Ita) Polti VisitMalta, +4:42
GC after stage 5
1. Afonso Eulálio (Por) Bahrain Victorious, in 21:27:43
2. Igor Arrieta (Esp) UAE Team Emirates-XRG, +2:51
3. Christian Scaroni (Ita) XDS Astana, +3:34
4. Andrea Raccagni Noviero (Ita) Soudal Quick-Step, +3:39
5. Johannes Kulset (Nor) Uno-X Mobility, +5:17
6. Giulio Ciccone (Ita) Lidl-Trek, + 6:12
7. Jan Christen (Sui) UAE Team Emirates-XRG, +6:16
8. Florian Stork (Ger) Tudor
9. Egan Bernal (Col) Netcompany-Ineos, both at same time
10. Thymen Arensmen (Ned) Netcompany-Ineos, +6:18
