Ciccone claims pink jersey after Narvaez victory in Giro stage four

CATANZARO: The Ecuadorian rider marked a successful return after being sidelined since crashing at the Tour Down Under in January.

“It’s really big for me after three months of training in Ecuador,” Narvaez said after securing his third Giro stage win following victories in 2020 and 2024.

The race saw its first major shake-up after entering Italy following the opening three stages in Bulgaria. A tough climb at Cozzo Tunno split the peloton, leaving only 42 riders in contention for the stage win.

Ciccone, racing for Lidl-Trek, grabbed the coveted pink jersey thanks to bonus seconds collected during the stage and now leads teammate Jan Christen by four seconds overall.

Meanwhile, Australian sprinter Kaden Groves withdrew from the race as he continued to suffer from injuries sustained in a crash during stage one.

Stage five on Wednesday features a challenging 203-kilometre hilly route from Praia a Mare to Potenza.