Giro stage 2: Silva survives chaos to edge sprint in photo finish

SOFIA: Thomas Silva produced a career-defining performance on Saturday, surviving a dramatic and crash-filled Stage 2 of the Giro d’Italia to win a frantic sprint finish and claim a historic victory.

The 24-year-old Uruguayan rider became the first from his country to win a Grand Tour stage, edging out Spaniard Florian Stork and Italy’s Giulio Ciccone after a chaotic finale to the 221km rain-soaked route from Burgas to Veliko Tarnovo in Bulgaria.

The stage was heavily disrupted when a mass crash involving nearly 20 riders occurred around the 198km mark on slippery roads, forcing race officials to temporarily neutralise the event. Several riders were injured in the incident, with Australia’s Jay Vine and Norway’s Adne Holter both abandoning the race. Earlier, Matteo Moschetti had also withdrawn after an opening-stage crash.

Before the chaos, the day had seen early attackers Mirco Maestri and Diego Pablo Sevilla build a strong breakaway, holding a lead of nearly five minutes. However, the peloton gradually reeled them in as conditions improved, with the duo caught inside the final 30km.

The decisive moment of the stage came soon after, when the large crash shattered the peloton and caused widespread disruption, with riders sliding out on wet roads and some even hitting barriers.

Once racing resumed with just over 18km remaining, attacks continued, including a strong move from Jonas Vingegaard on the Lyaskovets Monastery Pass. But the regrouped peloton refused to let any late escape stick, setting up a high-speed sprint finish.

In the final metres, Silva held his nerve in a tightly contested dash to the line, timing his effort perfectly to secure victory in a photo finish and move into the race lead, taking the pink jersey from Stage 1 winner Paul Magnier.

The Giro continues on Sunday with a 175km flat stage from Plovdiv to Sofia, where sprinters are expected to return to prominence after a chaotic day in the mountains.