Australia’s Kaden Groves won a chaotic raid-sodden stage five of the Giro d’Italia featuring numerous crashes, including one caused by a dog.
Britain’s Mark Cavendish finished fourth after skidding across the line on his backside following a collision metres from the finish.
World champion Remco Evenepoel crashed twice, the first after a dog wandered on to the road in front of him.
“Knee is a little sore but don’t think anything is broken,” said Cavendish.
Soudal Quick-Step doctor Toon Cruyt said Evenepoel avoided serious injury and should be fine for Thursday’s 162km sixth stage through Naples.
“Hopefully, with some good massage and osteopathic treatment followed by a good night’s rest, things will go better,” said Cruyt.
“We will know more Thursday morning, but what’s sure is that stage six will be a difficult one for him.”
A crash also hampered overall leader Andreas Leknessund but he was able to retain the pink jersey.
Heavy rain made conditions treacherous and meant much of the 171km ride from Atripalda to Salerno was at a steady pace, though that did not prevent a number of pile-ups.
The first crash after 19km had nothing to do with the rain, however, with a dog running across Davide Ballerini’s path, causing him and team-mate Evenepoel to come off their bikes.
World champion Evenepoel, who led the race up until Tuesday’s fourth stage to Lago Laceno, was attended to by the race doctor before being helped back on to his bike and giving a thumbs-up to the television cameras as he and Ballerini resumed riding.
There were then three crashes in the final 10km as the riders geared up for the mass sprint finish, with eventual winner Groves among those to fall on the final bend with 7km to go.
Norwegian race leader Leknessund, who rides for Team DSM, and Slovenia’s Primoz Roglic of Jumbo-Visma were among those held up by the crash.
Belgian Evenepoel then went down for a second time with 2km remaining, looking visibility frustrated as he got back onto his bike and angrily gesticulating to the driver of his team car, appearing to suggest a rider may have cut across his path.
Then as the riders pushed for the line, Alberto Dainese cut across Cavendish, forcing him into Filippo Fiorelli who smacked into the advertising hoardings.
Astana rider Cavendish fell and skidded over the line before colliding into Andrea Vendrame after the finish.
The Manxman slid across the line in fifth, but was later upgraded as Dainese was relegated by the race jury for his role in the incident.
“[I was] In a perfect position, kick for the sprint, back wheel on the white line and when I kick it slides the wheel,” added Cavendish.
“Alberto has caught me and that is part of sprinting. I just hope everybody else who crashed is OK too.”
Bahrain Victorious’ Jonathan Milan finished second ahead of Mads Petersen of Trek-Segafredo.
“It’s a dream to win,” said Alpecin-Deceuninck rider Groves, who had two third-place finishes in the opening four stages.
“Everything was going well but then I crashed at the roundabout with seven kilometres to go. Luckily I put my chain back on fast enough and the group came back together but it wasn’t very clean, we all got lost.
“The guys did a good job earlier and then luckily I was good enough to be in position and had the legs to lead out and win.”
Stage five
1. Kaden Groves (Aus/Alpecin-Deceuninck) 4hrs 30mins 19secs
2. Jonathan Milan (Ita/Bahrain Victorious) Same time
3. Mads Petersen (Den/Trek-Segafredo)
4. Mark Cavendish (Gbr/Astana)
5. Nicolas Dalla Valle (Ita/Team corratec-Selle Italia)
6. Mirco Maestri (Ita/Eolo-Kometa)
7. Filippo Fiorelli (Ita/Green Project-Bardiani CSF-Faizane)
8. Andrea Vendrame (Ita/AG2R Citroen)
9. Michael Matthews (Aus/Jayco-Alula)
10. Niccolo Bonifacio (Ita/Intermarche-Circus-Wanty)
General classification
1. Andreas Leknessund (Nor/Team DSM) 19hrs 6mins 3secs
2. Remco Evenepoel (Bel/Soudal-Quick Step) +28secs
3. Aurelien Paret-Peintre (Fra/AG2R-Citroen) +30secs
4. Joao Almeida (Por/UAE Team Emirates) +1mins
5. Primoz Roglic (Slo/Jumbo-Visma) +1min 12secs
6. Geraint Thomas (GB/Ineos Grenadiers) +1min 26secs
7. Aleksandr Vlasov (Neutral/Bora-Hansgrohe) same time
8. Toms Skujins (Lat-Trek-Segafredo) +1min 29secs
9. Tao Geoghegan Hart (GB/Ineos Grenadiers) +1min 30secs
10. Vincenzo Albanese (Ita/Eolo-Kometa +1 min 39secs
