Jhonatan Narvaez Triumphs at Giro d'Italia Just Days After Devastating Crash
Ecuador's Jhonatan Narvaez delivered a stunning performance by winning stage four of the Giro d'Italia, merely three days after a serious crash that forced three of his UAE Emirates-XRG teammates to abandon the race due to injuries. Narvaez, 29, out-sprinted Colombia's Orluis Aular from Movistar in an uphill finale in Cosenza, southern Italy. Italy's Giulio Ciccone from Lidl-Trek finished third, claiming the overall leader's pink jersey after previous leader Guillermo Thomas Silva of Uruguay fell over 12 minutes behind. Britain's Ben Turner of Netcompay Ineos Cycling secured fourth place while aiding teammate Egan Bernal from Colombia in recovering from setbacks during the category two climb. The stage featured the race's first significant climb, where sprint specialists and heavier riders struggled, with gradients reaching up to 11% over a 14.5km stretch. UAE Team Emirates-XRG's young Swiss rider Jan Christen made a daring move off the front of the peloton with just two kilometers to go, forcing the pack to chase. Narvaez conserved energy during this chase, allowing him to unleash a powerful sprint towards the finish. Notably, Tadej Pogacar, the team's four-time Tour de France champion, is absent as he prepares for the Tour in July. The team faced a significant setback with injuries to Adam Yates, Jay Vine, and Marc Soler during a crash in stage two. After the win, Narvaez expressed, "It's really big for me, coming after my Australian injury. This victory is for my teammates after they crashed on stage two." Jonas Vingegaard, the top favorite for overall victory, finished with the leading group and remains 11th overall, just 10 seconds behind Ciccone.
Source: BBC Sport - 2026-05-12