Demi Vollering sprinted past Anna van der Breggen at the finish of stage five, the first mountain test of the women's Giro d'Italia. The 146km climb into Santo Stefano di Cadore ended with Vollering taking the win, Antonia Niedermaier third and Canada's Isabella Holmgren two seconds back. Elisa Longo Borghini, a two‑time champion, was dropped but limited losses to fifteen seconds.

The victory completed Vollering's collection of Grand Tour stage wins and lifted her to one minute behind van der Breggen in the general classification. The Dutch rider, fresh from triumphs in the Tour de France Femmes and La Vuelta Femenina, now sits second, positioning her as a contender to join Annemiek van Vleuten as the only rider to capture all three women’s Grand Tours.

With two flat stages remaining before Saturday's queen stage, Vollering must preserve her form and avoid mishaps. Van der Breggen retains the pink jersey, but the gap has narrowed, setting up a tactical battle for the final days of the race.