Stage 5 of the 2025 Giro d’Italia sees the peloton edge slightly further north after a day for the sprinters in Lecce. With it comes more climbing, though with just one classified hill and 1,487 metres of ascent, the day is far from the toughest of the race.
Still, the stage is more of a challenge for the sprinters than stage 4’s flat run-in posed. Much of the mid-stage is flat, while much of the day’s hills – whether classified or not – come in the final 30km of the 151km.
Sprinters have fallen foul of the fourth-category Montescaglioso (2.8km at 8.5%) before, with Mark Cavendish among those dropped on the short, steep climb when the Giro visited Matera back in 2013.
John Degenkolb beat Angel Vicioso and Paul Martens to the win that day, while on the Giro’s most recent finish in Matera, in 2020, Arnaud Démare triumphed over Michael Matthews and Fabio Felline.
The finish is slightly different this time, with the unclassified climb of Castello Tramontano (7.1km at 3.5%) added in at 11km to go, though the names involved in 2013 and 2020 give a hint as to the type of rider who will come out on top this time around.
Several smaller lumps – including 700 meters at 8.6% 3.5km out – dot the run-in to the line, which itself comes on an uphill run.
The in-form Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek) is already in the race lead, having won two stages from four so far. He’s surely the favourite to triumph again here, being the perfect mould of rider for this finish.
Many of the other top sprinters in the race are less punchy and more in the pure sprinter mould, however. The likes of stage 4 winner Casper Van Uden (Picnic-PostNL), Olav Kooij (Visma-Lease A Bike), and Kaden Groves (Jayco-AlUla) would do well to contend for the win.
Double third-place finisher Orluis Aular (Movistar) could be back in the frame, while Wout van Aert may take over finishing duties for Visma.
An aggressive racer like Tom Pidcock (Q36.5) could also sniff an opportunity over one of the late hills, while Primož Roglič (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) may well be in the mix at the finish, too.
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