Pelayo Sanchez takes victory as breakaway prevails on stage six at Giro d’Italia

Pelayo Sanchez won stage six of the Giro d’Italia from a breakaway as Tadej Pogacar retained the leader’s pink jersey ahead of Geraint Thomas.

Movistar’s Sanchez, making his Giro debut this year, won a three-way sprint for the stage win in Rapolano Terme, beating former world champion Julian Alaphilippe who had been seeking his first win in almost a year.

A much-reduced peloton came home 29 seconds later, with Pogacar remaining 46 seconds clear of Thomas overall after the leading general classification hopefuls all survived the gravel sectors of this 180km stage through Tuscany.

Sanchez, Alaphilippe and Luke Plapp were the last survivors of a breakaway group who went clear midway through the stage.

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The trio were a minute ahead with 10km to go but saw that advantage tumble to just 20 seconds on the approach to the short, sharp final climb with four kilometres remaining, before managing to hold off the peloton on the descent into town.

Alaphilippe launched his sprint 150 metres out but Sanchez came around him to take the biggest win of his career.

“This is amazing, I don’t have words,” the 24-year-old said. “It’s a crazy, crazy day for me.

“Since the start of the Giro I’ve tried to save energy, I haven’t had the shape to stay at the front, so I tried to save energy for today so I could be in the breakaway, but I could never imagine I would win the stage.”

Elsewhere, Mark Cavendish scored his first win since February with victory on stage two of the Tour of Hungary.

The Manxman, who is preparing for a tilt at a record-breaking 35th Tour de France stage win this summer, has been slowed by illness in the first half of the season but had the power to outsprint Dylan Groenewegen in Kazincbarcika.