This page contains the stage podium, the race story, GC implications after the stage, and per-rider performance. Read no further if you intend to watch this stage unspoiled.
Demi Vollering won the four-up sprint at Santo Stefano di Cadore for her first-ever Giro stage, after FDJ - SUEZ ran a textbook mountain stage with Lauren Dickson destroying the bunch from the break. Bonus seconds cut Vollering's deficit to Anna van der Breggen to exactly one minute, but van der Breggen retained pink.
The 146 km Dolomites stage from Longarone to Santo Stefano di Cadore, with around 3,400 m of climbing, was the first high-mountain day, and FDJ - SUEZ controlled it from the front. The team put Lauren Dickson and Amber Kraak into the large early break, then relayed Dickson back to set the pace on the climbs. Dickson buried herself, dropping Reusser and Longo Borghini from the favourites' group.
Vollering attacked repeatedly on the final climb, whittling the lead group down to four — herself, race leader van der Breggen, Niedermaier and the young Isabella Holmgren — who reached the line together. Vollering, the fastest of the quartet, won the sprint for her first-ever Giro stage, taking the 10-second winner's bonus; van der Breggen took 6 seconds for second.
The bonuses cut Vollering's overall deficit from +1:10 to exactly one minute, but van der Breggen had defended well enough to keep the maglia rosa heading into the back half of the race.
GC after Stage 5: van der Breggen still in pink, Vollering 2nd at +1:00, Niedermaier 3rd at +1:24, Holmgren 4th at +2:01, Reusser 5th at +2:03, Longo Borghini 6th at +2:12, Fisher-Black 7th at +2:33, de Vries 8th at +2:38. Holmgren jumped to 4th and into the white jersey; Reusser slipped from 2nd to 5th after losing time on the climb.
Won her first-ever Giro stage with a perfectly executed team plan and a four-up sprint, taking 10 bonus seconds to trim her deficit to van der Breggen to a clean minute. The repeated attacks on the final climb that reduced the group to four were the template for her later race-winning rides.
Followed every Vollering attack and finished 2nd in the four-up sprint, taking 6 bonus seconds and defending the maglia rosa. Conceded only the winner's bonus on the day.
Third in the lead quartet, confirming herself as a genuine podium threat and moving to 3rd overall.
Dropped by Dickson's pace-setting but limited her loss to 15 seconds, staying in the GC mix at 6th overall.
Sixth on the stage, riding into the GC top eight alongside Lidl - Trek teammate Holmgren.
Dropped on the climb by Dickson's pull and lost 53 seconds, slipping from 2nd to 5th overall — the first sign that the high mountains did not suit her the way the time trial had.