Arrieta wins stage 5 of Giro despite going the wrong way and Eulálio takes the overall lead

POTENZA, Italia (AP) — Spanish rider Igor Arrieta won the fifth stage of the Giro d'Italia on Wednesday despite going the wrong way near the end.

Portuguese cyclist Afonso Eulálio took the overall lead but missed out on the stage win by two seconds in a dramatic finish.

With two kilometers (1.2 miles) remaining, Arrieta was just behind Eulálio after they had been on a long breakaway together. But Arrieta then misjudged a two-way split in the road, going left and up instead of right and down a slope.

Arrieta soon saw he was confronted by a line of red tape cordoning off the road and frantically turned his bike around. Despite losing valuable time, he still managed to catch and overtake Eulálio with 100 meters left in an unlikely conclusion.

"I don’t really know what to say,” Arrieta said. “When I lost Eulálio in the last two kilometers I was like, 'it's not possible,' but then I kept pushing, I saw that he cannot go faster than me, and then when I took his wheel I was like, ‘maybe I can win.’”

As the dejected Eulálio rolled over the line behind him, Arrieta put his hands on his face in disbelief at the win. The 23-year-old UAE Team Emirates rider then lowered his head as tiredness set in after more than five hours in the saddle amid driving rain and slippery roads.

“I was completely empty in the last kilometers but I knew Eulálio was also the same," Arrieta said. “Both of us deserved the victory, but in the end I had it.”

Guillermo Silva, who on Saturday became the first Uruguayan to win a Giro stage and don the leader's pink jersey, finished in third.

Eulálio took the pink jersey from Italian rider Giulio Ciccone and the Bahrain Victorious rider leads Arrieta by 2 minutes, 51 seconds overall, with Italian Christian Scaroni 3:34 back in third spot. Danish rider Jonas Vingegaard — who is looking to win the race on his debut and complete a trio of Grand Tours victories — sits 6:22 back in 15th.

The demanding 203-kilometer (126-mile) stage from the Calabria to the Basilicata region featured several climbs leading into a downhill finish to the southern city of Potenza.

Arrieta surged ahead but was caught by Eulálio approaching the summit of Grande di Viggiano — a sharp 6.6-kilometer climb with a gradient of 9.1 %.

When they reached the top amid heavy rain, the maglia rosa group was already drifting away before a mini-group of three tried and failed to catch them in the closing 20 kilometers.

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The pack of riders pedals under pouring rain, during the fifth stage of the Giro d'Italia cycling race, from Praia a Mare to Potenza, Italy, Wednesday, May 13, 2026. (Fabio Ferrari/LaPresse via AP)

Spain's Igor Arrieta Lizarraga celebrates winning the fifth stage of the Giro d'Italia cycling race, from Praia a Mare to Potenza, Italy, Wednesday, May 13, 2026. (Marco Alpozzi/LaPresse via AP)

Spain's Igor Arrieta Lizarraga celebrates winning the fifth stage of the Giro d'Italia cycling race, from Praia a Mare to Potenza, Italy, Wednesday, May 13, 2026. (Massimo Paolone/LaPresse via AP)

Spain's Igor Arrieta Lizarraga celebrates winning the fifth stage of the Giro d'Italia cycling race, from Praia a Mare to Potenza, Italy, Wednesday, May 13, 2026. (Massimo Paolone/LaPresse via AP)

ROME (AP) — Three-time champion Iga Swiatek beat Jessica Pegula of the United States in straight sets on Wednesday to advance to the Italian Open semifinals.

The fourth-ranked Swiatek needed just 67 minutes to sweep aside No. 5 Pegula 6-1, 6-2.

Swiatek’s impressive form bodes well for the upcoming French Open, which she has won four times.

“I’m happy that I can spend some time on the court and play really solid matches against the best girls,” Swiatek said. "For sure it’s giving me confidence because you can practice as much as possible, but if you don’t test it out on the court, play matches and face pressure or something, you’re going to still feel the little bit rusty when it comes.

“Now I’m happy I played couple matches. I’ll play hopefully two more here.”

Swiatek will next face either Elena Rybakina or Elina Svitolina, who are both also former Rome champions.

In the men’s quarterfinals, two impressive sets from Casper Ruud saw the Norwegian overcome 13th-ranked Karen Khachanov 6-1, 1-6, 6-2.

The match was suspended for more than two hours at the start of the second set because of rain and Khachanov seemed to have dealt better with the enforced break.

However, the 23rd-ranked Ruud broke Khachanov's serve twice at the start of the third set and then again to take the match on the second of three match points.

Ruud will face either 19-year-old Rafael Jodar of Spain or Italian player Luciano Darderi in the semifinals.

AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis

Jessica Pegula, of the United States, waits for start of the quarter-final match against Iga Swiatek, of Poland, at the Italian Open tennis tournament in Rome, Wednesday, May 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)

Iga Swiatek, of Poland, returns the ball to Jessica Pegula, of the United States, during their quarter-final match at the Italian Open tennis tournament in Rome, Wednesday, May 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)

Jessica Pegula, of the United States, returns the ball to Iga Swiatek, of Poland, during their quarter-final match at the Italian Open tennis tournament in Rome, Wednesday, May 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)

Iga Swiatek, of Poland, celebrates after wining a point during the quarter-final match against Jessica Pegula, of the United States, at the Italian Open tennis tournament in Rome, Wednesday, May 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)