Favorites stage 5 Giro d'Italia 2023 | Venom is in the early stages, who will surprise the pure sprinters?

The day after a difficult stage through the middle mountains, the sprinters seem to have another chance in the Giro d'Italia. The stage to Salerno is certainly not flat, but it won't be as tough as the one before. IDL Pro Cycling reviews the course and takes you through the favorites!

The main difficulty of the fifth stage lies in the beginning. Starting from Atripalda, the first categorized climb already awaits at the ten-kilometer mark. The Passo Serra is about four kilometers long, at a 7.5% gradient and provides the opportunity to form a strong breakaway group. After that, the Italian organization acts as if the course is flat, but nothing could be further from the truth.

After a very short descent, the road gradually rises up to kilometer 73. Sometimes there are sections with a 5 or 6% gradient, but no mountain points are available. Afterward, the riders start descending towards the last (categorized) climb of the day: the Oliveto Citra. This tough climb starts after 110 kilometers of racing and has an average gradient of 8%. However, it doesn't seem long enough to really drop the pure sprinters, unless they lose time on the false flat section that follows the top.

The last sixty kilometers are slightly downhill. By the time the finish town of Salerno has been reached, it has been flat for a while. What is particularly noticeable is that during the last sixteen (!) kilometers, there are no sharp turns left. Four kilometers before the finish, the riders must keep to the right to dive into the city, but otherwise, there are only straight roads on the course. It is certainly wide enough to set up the trains next to each other and start sprinting, unless the attackers can surprise, of course.

Times
Start: 12:55 p.m.
Finish: around 5:15 p.m.

The weather is not really in favor of the riders so far. Rain is forecasted for the entire day. Fortunately, there is little wind. It is around 17 degrees Celsius, although the precipitation will lower the temperature. Another long day in the saddle awaits...

This would have been a typical stage for Thomas De Gendt (Lotto-Dstny), but unfortunately the Belgian is not present. The most realistic scenario is that it simply ends in a mass sprint. Teams such as Trek-Segafredo, Alpecin-Deceuninck and Team Jayco AlUla could ride for Mads Pedersen, Kaden Groves and Michael Matthews on the climbs in order to drop the pure sprinters. If that unexpectedly doesn't work, they may still be fresh and therefore favorites for this stage.

However, the flat finish increases the chances for the fastest men in the peloton. Jonathan Milan (Bahrain Victorious) won the first sprint and seems to have the best chance. The Italian recorded impressive numbers, but it is questionable how he has survived the last few stages. After all, it is still his first Grand Tour. There are also question marks surrounding David Dekker (Arkéa Samsic). The Dutchman finished second behind Milan in the same stage, but had to let go early in the hectic opening phase of the fourth stage.

Alright, which other outsiders are there? Perhaps Pascal Ackermann (UAE-Team Emirates) is a significant contender. The German was able to keep up in the hills and seems to be in good form. Fernando Gaviria (Movistar), Vincenzo Albanese (EOLO-Kometa) and Mark Cavendish (Astana Qazaqstan Team) also usually know how to handle a stage like this. Albanese, however, has already had a long breakaway in stage four.

The teams of Team DSM and Intermarché-Circus-Wanty also deserve some attention. Which card will they play this time? The former team has the strong Marius Mayrhofer and Alberto Dainese at their disposal, while Arne Marit and Niccolo Bonifazio can compete for the Belgian team. Furthermore, Filippo Fiorelli (Green Project-Bardiani) and Simone Consonni (Cofidis) will be eager to show what they can do in their home country.

There are plenty of names for the sprint, but secretly we cannot rule out a successful breakaway either. The hilly section is an invitation to riders to try their luck. The brothers Mattia Bais and Davide Bais (both EOLO-Kometa) will certainly be in there. Men like Simon Clarke (Israel Premier Tech), Laurenz Rex (Intermarché Circus-Wanty), Valerio Conti (Team Corratec) and Andrea Vendrame (AG2R Citroën Team) have surprised the peloton before. As mentioned, the flat finish works against them. However, if the control is lacking a bit, there seems to be a chance. Someone who can win both from the breakaway and the sprint is Magnus Cort (EF-Education EasyPost). The Dane has not yet reached top form, but can win like a jack-in-the-box.

Top favorites: Mads Pedersen (Trek-Segafredo) and Kaden Groves (Alpecin-Deceuninck)
Shadow favorites: Jonathan Milan (Bahrain Victorious), Michael Matthews (Team Jayco AlUla), Fernando Gaviria (Movistar), Pascal Ackermann (UAE-Team Emirates) and David Dekker (Arkéa Samsic)
Longshots: Vincenzo Albanese (EOLO-Kometa), Mark Cavendish (Astana Qazaqstan Team), Magnus Cort (EF-Education EasyPost), Marius Mayrhofer, Alberto Dainese (both Team DSM), Arne Marit, Niccolò Bonifazio (both Intermarché Circus-Wanty), Filippo Fiorelli (Green Project-Bardiani) and Simone Consonni (Cofidis)

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