Guillermo Thomas Silva made history by winning stage two of the Giro d’Italia, marking him as the first Uruguayan to achieve a Grand Tour stage victory. The dramatic 221 km ride from Burgas to Veliko Tarnovo in Bulgaria was marred by a significant crash involving nearly 20 riders, which disrupted the race and led to the abandonment of Jay Vine from Australia and Adne Holter from Norway.

The stage, which began without Matteo Moschetti—the first competitor to abandon after a crash on Friday—saw Mirco Maestri and Diego Pablo Sevilla initially break away, leading the peloton by five minutes through the early climbs of Byala Pass and Vratnik Pass. However, as the weather improved, the peloton gradually closed in on the leading duo, catching them with 27 km remaining.

The race took a chaotic turn around 198 km when a mass crash occurred, initiated by Marc Soler slipping on the wet ground. Several riders were injured, adding to the tension of the event. The race resumed with 18.2 km left, and Jonas Vingegaard launched an attack during the Lyaskovets monastery pass. Although he created a gap, the peloton regrouped for a thrilling sprint finish.

In a nail-biting photo-finish, the 24-year-old Silva emerged victorious, taking the pink jersey from Paul Magnier of France. The race continues on Sunday with a 175 km flat stage from Plovdiv to Sofia, before heading back to Italy after a rest day for the next leg from Catanzaro to Cosenza.