Groves wins crash-marred 2025 Giro d’Italia Stage 6 in Napoli after mass fall forces Giro neutralisation

The longest day of the 2025 Giro d’Italia began relatively calmly but descended into chaos as a huge crash forced a lengthy neutralisation and ultimately shaped a subdued finish in Naples. Stage 6, covering 227 kilometres from Potenza to Napoli, was eventually won in a reduced sprint by Kaden Groves, but only after the race was briefly brought to a halt due to a mass fall on slick roads that saw Jai Hindley abandon and several other GC riders hit the deck.

Early on, the route’s undulating profile and the climbs of Valico di Monte Carruozzo and Monteforte Irpino offered a launchpad for breakaways. After a few opening salvos were brought back, a two-man move of Enzo Paleni (Groupama-FDJ) and Taco van der Hoorn (Intermarché-Wanty) escaped the bunch. They were allowed a gap of over four minutes as the peloton settled into a steady rhythm.

Rain began to fall midway through the stage, and it was clear conditions were deteriorating as riders pulled on waterproofs and adjusted pace. At 72km to go, disaster struck. A Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe rider appeared to slip on a treacherous downhill section, triggering a catastrophic crash that rippled through the peloton.

Jai Hindley was among the worst affected and abandoned the race after being taken away in an ambulance. Mads Pedersen, wearing the pink jersey, also went down hard. Though he continued and retained the overall lead, he later admitted to heavy bruising and pain. Riders including Richard Carapaz, Adam Yates, Derek Gee, and Paul Magnier also hit the ground. The severity of the crash, combined with the need for multiple ambulances, prompted race organisers to neutralise the race entirely.

Photo Credit: LaPresse

Race neutralisation and restart

At kilometre 166.5, the race was brought to a full stop. With several riders needing medical attention and all team cars and ambulances occupied, the only logical decision was to pause the race for safety. Once cleared, the race resumed with around 60km to go. Paleni and Van der Hoorn were allowed to resume with a 50-second advantage, corresponding to their lead before the neutralisation. Organisers also announced that no time gaps or points would be taken into account and the GC would remain frozen, with only the stage win counting.

The peloton remained subdued for much of the remainder, with many riders still shaken or nursing injuries. The breakaway pair was eventually caught inside the final two kilometres, setting up a sprint finish among those who remained at the front.

Groves surges to overdue win in Naples

Kaden Groves, who has had a delayed start to the season due to injury, stayed well-positioned and launched a clean sprint to the line, finishing ahead of Milan Fretin and Paul Magnier. While the Alpecin-Deceuninck sprinter celebrated a long-awaited victory, the mood remained tempered by the earlier events.

“It’s a big relief,” Groves said after the finish. “Once it started raining, I actually felt better – I’m quite good in cold and wet conditions. I really believed in the team, they did a super job.”

However, Groves dedicated the win to teammate Juri Hollmann, who was seriously injured in the crash and feared to have a broken arm. “We’re still not sure what the verdict is with Juri,” he added. “It was a nasty crash, so I’ve got a lot of mixed feelings right now. This win is for him.”

Groves noted that avoiding the crash had been a matter of luck. “It happened in front of me and I was lucky to slow and avoid it. It was a slippery road – someone brakes, maybe slips, and then it’s a chain reaction.”

Visma-Lease a Bike had tried to disrupt the finale with Wout van Aert and Olav Kooij attacking late, but Van Aert faded, and Kooij was boxed in by Matteo Moschetti, who was later relegated for his move. Kooij crossed the line 10th, frustrated at the lost opportunity.

Photo Credit: LaPresse

GC frozen ahead of mountain test

With all general classification times neutralised, Mads Pedersen held onto the maglia rosa despite his crash. “It could have been worse,” he said. “I crashed at 65-plus km/h – that’s never good – but nothing is broken. It’ll be a hard sleep tonight though.”

The peloton now heads to Castel di Sangro for stage 7 and the first proper summit finish in Tagliacozzo. Riders such as Juan Ayuso, Primož Roglič, and Egan Bernal will look to test their legs after a week of skirmishes and crashes.

Ayuso said he was eager to get into the mountains. “It’s the first chance we have to see where we are. I hope I’m at the front and can battle it out.”

Roglič, meanwhile, faces the next phase of the race without key teammate Jai Hindley. “This changes things,” admitted Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe DS Christian Pömer. “Jai played a major role in our strategy. Now we may have to conserve more and focus fully on the GC.”

While Friday’s summit finish may not yet cause huge gaps, it marks the beginning of the Giro’s second phase – one that will be contested with fewer contenders than before.

2025 Giro d’Italia Stage 6 result

Results powered by FirstCycling.com

Main photo credit: LaPresse