Australian Caleb Ewan secured a sprint victory on a chaotic fifth stage of the Giro d Italia.
The Lotto Soudal rider was fastest to the line, outsprinting Italians Giacomo Nizzolo and Elia Viviani - respectively of Team Qhubeka Assos and Cofidis - who completed the podium.
Spain s Mikel Landa did not complete the stage following a fall and is out of the race, and Russian Pavel Sivakov also came off the bike and there are fears that his Grand Tour could be over.
As the riders followed a 177-kilometre course from Modena to Cattolica, Sivakov s title hopes came crashing down as the Ineos Grenadiers rider hit the ground hard with just 15km to go - seemingly touching wheels with a team mate.
Ewan wins Giro fifth stage, De Marchi retains pink jersey
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12/05/2021 - 18:03 Caleb Ewan (R) took the sprint finish of the fifth stage of the Giro d Italia Dario BELINGHERI AFP 1 min
Cattolica (Italy) (AFP)
Caleb Ewan won the fifth stage of the Giro d Italia on Wednesday in a sprint finish as Italy s Alessandro De Marchi kept hold of the overall lead.
Lotto rider Ewan overtook Giacomo Nizzolo to triumph in the final metres of a flat, initially uneventful stage that was suddenly hit by a raft of falls as the race came to its climax in Cattolica on the Adriatic coast.
SportsEwan wins Giro stage five, Landa crashes out
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Cycling - Giro d Italia - Stage 5 - Modena to Cattolica, Italy - May 12, 2021 Lotto Soudal rider Caleb Ewan of Australia wins stage 5 ahead of Qhubeka Assos rider Giacomo Nizzolo of Italy REUTERS/Jennifer Lorenzini
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Australian Caleb Ewan sprinted to victory but one of the main GC favourites Mikel Landa s race is over after a crash-hit climax to stage five of the Giro d Italia on Wednesday.
Lotto Soudal rider Ewan surged through to beat Italian Giacomo Nizzolo on the line alongside the Adriatic resort of Cattolica with Elia Viviani in third place.
Team Qhubeka ASSOS (www.TeamQhubeka.com) sprinter Giacomo Nizzolo took yet another second place Giro d'Italia stage finish after being pipped on the line by Caleb Ewan on