Guillermo Thomas Silva wins Giro d’Italia stage two amid mass crash
Guillermo Thomas Silva has become the first Uruguayan to win a Grand Tour stage after sprinting to victory in an incident-marred stage two of the Giro d’Italia on Saturday.
The XDS Astana rider triumphed in a photo finish following a gruelling, rain-soaked 221km route from Burgas to Veliko Tarnovo in Bulgaria.
His historic achievement secures him the coveted pink jersey, taking the overall race lead from stage one winner Paul Magnier.
“I’m over the moon. This is only the second stage of my first Giro d’Italia and I’m the winner and even managed to take the maglia rosa,” said Silva.
Mass crash forces race neutralisation
The landmark victory was overshadowed by a severe pile-up involving nearly 20 riders at the 198km mark.
Wet and slippery conditions caused chaos in the peloton, with commentators noting Marc Soler was the first to fall before others crashed into roadside guard rails.
Australian Jay Vine and Norwegian Adne Holter sustained injuries serious enough to force their immediate abandonment from the three-week race.
They join Matteo Moschetti on the sidelines, who became the first competitor to abandon the tour following a separate incident on Friday.
Vingegaard caught in frantic finale
Following the restart, Jonas Vingegaard launched a blistering attack over the Lyaskovets Monastery Pass.
The Danish rider crested the summit with a narrow advantage, pursued closely on the descent by Giulio Pellizzari and Lenny Van Eetvelt.
However, the diminished peloton swallowed up the leading trio with just 500 metres remaining to set up a chaotic sprint finish.
The 24-year-old South American timed his explosive final effort perfectly to edge out Spaniard Florian Stork in second and Italian Giulio Ciccone in third.
“I just had to keep calm and launch the sprint at the right time. I don’t think I’ll ever forget this day,” the new race leader added.
The battered peloton will look to recover on Sunday during a flatter 175km third stage travelling from Plovdiv to Sofia.