Afonso Eulálio surprises everyone and everything and takes on the pink jersey in the Tour of Italy

Portuguese cycling once again experienced a historic moment with the leadership of the Giro d’Italia by Afonso Eulálio, who surprised everyone and everything by taking on the pink jersey after a stage marked by rain, falls and a chaotic end.

In the 5th stage of the Italian race, with 203 kilometers between Praia a Mare and Potenza, the Bahraini cyclist Victorious was in the spotlight as he integrated the day’s escape and set a strong pace for many kilometers. In the end, he ended up finishing in second place, beaten in the sprint by Igor Arrieta, from UAE Team Emirates.

The race was marked by several incidents. Around 13 kilometers from the finish line, Arrieta suffered a fall that allowed the Portuguese to gain an advantage, but Eulálio also ended up falling to the ground less than seven kilometers from the end, returning uncertainty to the stage.

In a confusing outcome, the Spaniard still recovered, but ended up going off the correct path in a corner, which once again left the Portuguese isolated at the front. Despite the intense struggle until the last meters, Arrieta ended up being stronger in the final sprint, winning the stage.

Despite this, the results of the stage were enough to place Afonso Eulálio in the lead of the general classification, becoming the third Portuguese of all time to wear the pink jersey in the Giro, after Acácio da Silva and João Almeida.

The cyclist born in Figueira da Foz also took the lead among the youth, wearing the white shirt, reinforcing a day of enormous prominence for Portuguese cycling.

Overall, Eulálio remains with an advantage over Arrieta, while the main favorites for the final victory, such as Jonas Vingegaard, are already more than six minutes away.