‘The break was just incredibly fast’ – Giro d’Italia sprinters miss out in Lucca as the breakaway steals the show

The sprinters still fought shoulder to shoulder at the finish of stage 5 on the wide roads near the walls that surround Lucca but were only fighting for fifth place, bragging rights and points for the cyclamen jersey.

The stage victory escaped them, with Benjamin Thomas giving Cofidis an emotional first victory of the season.