Video: Much-discussed U-turn in Naples takes out sprint field

Visma | Lease a Bike sports director Marc Reef had been one of the most outspoken critics of the finale before the stage, saying he was surprised by the route chosen in Naples. “They are looking for trouble,” he told In de Leiderstrui.

According to Reef, the organisers could have kept things simpler. “We have finished here before, and normally it went straight on. That was always a very nice finish for the sprinters. Now we first get small cobbles, and then we finish on large stone slabs.”

Reef also pointed to an earlier stage in the race, where the peloton moved from a long straight road onto a more awkward surface near the finish. “For me, they do not always need to look for this. They would still have had a great sprint otherwise.”

The day itself had been set up for a bunch sprint in Naples, with the early breakaway kept under control and the sprint teams gradually moving into position in the final 20 kilometres. As the pace rose on the run-in, the fight for position became increasingly tense, with several teams trying to hit the front before the technical finale.

Unibet Rose Rockets took charge as the peloton began its final preparations for the sprint. The last obstacle before the finishing straight was the much-discussed cobbled U-turn, which had been wet earlier in the day and may have become slippery again after the rain returned shortly before the finale.

As the Rockets, with Elmar Reinders on the front, were halfway through the corner, they slid out. The same happened to Jonathan Milan and Paul Magnier, completely disrupting the sprint and leaving Davide Ballerini and Jasper Stuyven with a gap. The Belgian tried to come around the Italian, but could not get past before the line.

Milan, who managed to stay upright but saw his chance of victory disappear, was frustrated afterwards.

“Luckily, I didn’t crash, I was able to stay on my bike, but they completely crashed in front of me,” Milan told TNT Sports. “I mean, it’s not their fault. We knew that it could be super slippery if it rained on these kinds of cobbles.”

“Yeah, I really don’t get why we have to try to find these complicated finishes. I really don’t get it,” he added.

The Italian pointed out that the risk of rain had always been there, especially with cobbles and road furniture so close to the line. “For sure, we could think that it would rain and that it could be safe like some years ago when we could go just straight, but no, with two drops of water we get a huge mess. I’m just a bit disappointed because I was in a good position, and I’m in good shape and feeling good.”

“But yeah, we have to try and look for these things for a bit of hype maybe sometimes. I really don’t get it,” Milan said.