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.
Elisa Balsamo won the bunch sprint in Brescello for her fourth stage win of the Giro, launched by a long Lucinda Brand pull through a technical finale. A mid-stage Uno-X split briefly caught out Vollering and Reusser but they regained; Anna van der Breggen kept pink with no GC change.
The 160 km flat-to-rolling stage from Ala to Brescello returned the race to the sprinters, but not without drama. An early four-rider Italian break (Bezzone, Spimi, Segato, Cagnazzo) reached around four minutes before being reeled in. Mid-stage, Uno-X drove a split in the peloton: van der Breggen made the front group, but Vollering and Reusser were briefly caught behind before Movistar and UAE chased it back together with no decisive gap.
In the finale, Giorgia Serena soloed about a minute clear with 12 km to go before being caught. With only Lucinda Brand left as a lead-out, Lidl - Trek still produced a long pull through the twisting closing kilometre — Movistar even briefly turned the wrong way inside the final km. Balsamo launched from around fifth wheel and won decisively for her fourth stage win of the race (the first awarded after Wiebes's DQ, plus Stages 2, 3 and 6 on the road).
GC after Stage 6 was unchanged from Stage 5, all contenders finishing in the bunch: van der Breggen 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. Balsamo extended her points-jersey lead with the win and an intermediate-sprint bonus.
Won her fourth stage of the Giro despite having only Lucinda Brand left to lead her out, launching from fifth wheel through a technical finish. The win and intermediate points cemented her hold on the points jersey.
Fifth in the bunch sprint, in the mix again on a sprinters' day.