Afonso Eulálio claimed the Maglia Rosa after an extraordinary performance on the fifth stage of the Giro d’Italia, crossing the finish line in second place in Potenza after spending the entire day in a breakaway.
The 203-km stage from Praia a Mare to Potenza was one of the first major tests of this year’s Giro, featuring a demanding route through Calabria and Basilicata, wet conditions throughout the day and the Montagna Grande di Viggiano as the key climb before the final stretch to Potenza. Igor Arrieta (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) won the stage, with Eulálio finishing second, two seconds behind, whilst Guillermo Thomas Silva (Astana Qazaqstan Team) completed the podium.
The stage was eventful from the start. Around 185 km from the finish, a breakaway began to form following an acceleration by the peloton, and Eulálio reacted promptly by following the move. The opening kilometres were uncertain, with several attacks and regroupings before the breakaway finally managed to pull away.
Eulálio spent much of the day at the front of the race, staying in contention as the peloton thinned out on the climbs and in the rain. As the stage entered its decisive phase, he caught up with Arrieta at the front of the race around 50 km from the finish, putting himself in contention for the stage win and the overall lead.
The result was enough for Eulálio to take the lead in the Giro d’Italia general classification and claim the Maglia Rosa, capping off a long day at the front of the race. Tomorrow he will start the stage from Paestum to Naples wearing the leader’s jersey.