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The chaotic finale of stage 6 at the Giro d\u2019Italia sparked criticism from riders, and Jasper Stuyven believes some of the blame also lies with the riders at the front of the crash.<\/p>\n
Speaking after finishing second in Naples<\/a>, the Belgian pointed to Dylan Groenewegen and Elmar Reinders, who were among the first to go down on the rain-soaked cobbles in the final corner.<\/p>\n \u201cI think it\u2019s a pity that experienced guys like Elmar and Dylan keep pedalling on cobblestones in a corner,\u201d Stuyven said, according to WielerFlits.<\/a><\/p>\n The rider said the slippery conditions made the risk obvious, especially once rain began falling, though he also questioned why organizers included cobbles in such a technical finish at all. Ballerini took a solid win, though. And with a last name like that? You gotta win races. Btw, Davide is not related to the late, great italian legend, Franco Ballerini.<\/p>\n But back to the task at mano<\/em>.<\/p>\n Stage 7 delivers the first major GC showdown of the Giro d\u2019Italia, with a brutal uphill finish atop Blockhaus after more than 240 kilometres of racing. The long day features several climbs before the decisive 14-kilometre ascent, where the overall contenders are expected to finally go head-to-head.<\/p>\n It\u2019s going to be a fun day at the races. (Well, for the riders, not us watching it with our cereal.)<\/p>\n Friday\u2019s banger is going to be broadcast on Flobikes.com<\/a>. It all begins at, uh, 4:35 a.m. EDT. (Good morning!) But that\u2019s also because it\u2019s going to be a helluva day. Still kinda early.<\/p>\n If you feel like waking up a regular hour, no worries, not all of us have hungry cats. (They wake you up, IYKYK.) Check back here with Canadian Cycling Magazine for a full report.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Stuyven avoided the crash and still contested the sprint, but mechanical issues in the closing metres left him unable to properly challenge stage winner Davide Ballerini.<\/p>\n