Giro d'Italia 2025 Stage 5 recap - Pink jersey Mads Pedersen battles back to extend lead with third win in Matera

If the pink jersey covering his back was not proof enough, Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek) reinforced his credentials as being the most in-form rider at this Giro d’Italia with a stirring win in Matera to complete a scintillating hat-trick in Stage 5 of La Corsa Rosa.

Dropped on the spiky climb back into the finish town, Pedersen battled back before joining forces with his team-mate Mathias Vacek ahead of the finale. The Dane then showed his rivals his heels – emerging from Vacek’s wheel around the final bend before holding off the challenge from Italy’s Edoardo Zambanini (Bahrain Victorious) and Britain’s Tom Pidcock (Q36.5 Pro Cycling).

The impressive Zambanini came from deep after a clash of shoulders with Britain’s Max Poole (Picnic PostNL) but ultimately ran out of road as the continuation of Pedersen’s hot streak was confirmed in a photo finish.

Venezuela’s Orluis Aular (Movistar) and Italy’s Filippo Fiorelli (VF Group-Bardiani CSF-Faizane) completed the top five in a thrilling conclusion to the 151km stage in southern Italy.

Ten bonus seconds over the line saw Pedersen extend his lead over Primoz Roglic (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) to 17 seconds in the general classification on the same day Lidl-Trek announced the 29-year-old had signed a new contract to bind him to the team for the rest of his career.

The Briton did his best in the sprint but he never stood a chance against the in-form rider of this Giro. This is what Tom Pidcock has to say:

No rider from Denmark has now won more professional bike races than Mads Pedersen, who was supreme today. It looked like he was done and dusted with 2km to go after being dropped on the climb back into Matera. But he avoided going into the red in order to strengthen his grip on the pink – and in doing so he powered to a third win on this Giro. The Lidl-Trek man now has a 60% strike rate in the 108th edition of La Corsa Rosa. Unstoppable.

Here's how Pedersen completed his hat-trick...

1. Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek)
2. Edoardo Zambanini (Bahrain Victorious)
3. Tom Pidcock (Q36.5 Pro Cycling)
4. Orluis Aular (Movistar)
5. Filippo Fiorelli (VF Group-Bardiani CSF-Faizane)
6. Michael Storer (Tudor Pro Cycling)
7. Quentin Pacher (Groupama-FDJ)
8. Brandon Rivera (Ineos Grenadiers)
9. Damiano Caruso (Bahrain Victorious)
10. Isaac Del Toro (UAE Emirates-XRG)

And the Danish man in pink has picked up his third win of this Giro! Replays show that he just had enough to hold off Zambanini despite the Italian’s super-fast finish, with Pidcock taking third place ahead of Orluis Aular.

The pink jersey was led out perfectly by team-mate Vacek out of the final corner. He holds off Tom Pidcock but Edoardo Zambanini pushes him all the way… Oh, that is too close to call!

Damiano Caruso has a pop for Bahrain but it comes to nothing. But now Pedersen has returned as the road flattens out after the flamme rouge. It looks like we’re going to have a reduced bunch sprint after all.

Primoz Roglic is launched by Giovanni Aleotti and the Slovenian puts in an early attack on the climb back into Matera. He’s pegged back before Mathias Vacek, the white jersey for Lidl, comes to the front. But his team-mate Pedersen has hit the wall. Bernal, both Yates, Storer and Ayuso are all there…

Ah, it seems that the Belgian was just pulling hard for his team-mates. Off the back he goes and we have another reshuffle.

Lidl-Trek, Visma, EF, Israel and Alpecin are now all on the front. Wout van Aert is very much in the mix and perhaps the Belgian fancies his chances today. Mads Pedersen is there while Picnic PostNL have three riders, but not their stage winner from yesterday, Van Uden. Ineos are also in the mix with Bernal. And they now take it up.

The pack strings out on the descent out of Matera and Mads Pedersen needs to battle back with his Lidl-Trek team. UAE have now dropped back a little and we have a changing of the guard as Israel-Premier Tech and Q36.5 come to the front.

With four riders on the front – including co-leader Adam Yates but not Juan Ayuso – UAE Team Emirates are drilling a fast tempo through Vine, Majka and Del Toro. Is Ayuso not feeling well or is he just keeping his powder dry?

The 2019 winner from Ecuador has a couple of EF team-mates with him as they approach Matera for the first time ahead of the out-of-town loop that precedes the final. Movistar, UAE and Bahrain are also looking hungry.

Lorenzo Milesi digs deep to ensure that he – and not Davide Bais – is the last man caught from the break. This followed a fist pump between the two riders who were left empty-handed from the move after Giosue Epis won both sprints and the Red Bull KM.

Tom Pidcock (Q36.5 Pro Cycling) is near the front of the pack with some team-mates as things hot up. UAE, Lidl-Trek, Bahrain, EF and Ineos are all there, too, jostling for positions. They have the remaining escapees in their sights. Don't discount Mads Pedersen: the pink jersey looks comfortable and is just a few riders back.

When I say that things have regrouped what I meant was that the peloton which split up on the descent is back together. Those riders who were distanced on the climb won’t ever see the front of the race again. Yesterday’s winner Casper van Uden is in a group 1’10" behind the peloton, while Olav Kooij is in a gruppetto over three minutes in arrears.

The peloton is regrouping after that shuffle of the pack but things are tense and the pace is high ahead of the finale. The two leaders only have 40 seconds to play with now and there will be time losses today, especially with no 3km or 5km rule in force.

Things have broken up a little as the pack stretches out on this descent and UAE continue piling on the pressure. They could well be eyeing up a win for their Mexican debutant Isaac del Toro today, who could take the white jersey too. The likes of Egan Bernal, Richard Carapaz and Mads Pedersen are in the first group, but many riders have been caught out. It will all come back together, but at what cost?

Antonio Tiberi (Bahrain Victorious) looks to be one of those on the wrong side of the splits.

Lorenzo Milesi (Movistar) beats Davide Bais (Polti VisitMalta) to the summit of Montescaglioso after a seriously steep ramped final few hundred metres. When the peloton comes over it’s Jay Vine (UAE Team Emirates) who takes the final point on offer. Mads Pedersen has dropped back a little but the pink jersey is still very much part of the peloton.