Ireland's Gaffney out of U23 Giro as Rafferty makes select group

Adam Rafferty, centre in purple, made a very select group on Thursday's stage 5 at Giro d'Italia Next Gen (Photo: Fabio Ferrari)

Adam Rafferty (Hagens Berman Jayco) has moved into the top 20 on the general classification for the first time at Giro d'Italia Next Gen 2026 after making a select group on Thursday's stage 5.

With the race now entering the business stage - and a summit finish to come today, Friday, on Piana delle Mele - Rafferty has shown great form so far and is now just 21 seconds off the maglia rosa.

His Irish team mate, David Gaffney, was a non-starter yesterday. The Waterford teenager, in his first year as an U23, crashed on stage 3 and has been nursing injuries since then.

Gaffney's withdrawal followed that of Liam O'Brien's, in heartbreaking circumstances, before stage 4.

And now Rafferty and Seth Dunwoody (Bahrain-Victorious Development), who was 4th on stage 4, are the only two remaining Irish riders in the race.

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Belgium's Matisse Van Kerckhove, left, Nicolo' Arrighetti to stage 5 victory at Giro d'Italia Next Gen into Bacoli, June 18, 2026 (Photo: Massimo Paolone)

Yesterday's stage, some 139km starting and finishing in Bacoli, was eight laps of a very hilly circuit, with a categorised climb on the course, making for a total of 2,500m of elevation gain.

With barely a flat stretch of road on the course, it became a real war of attrition, with the bunch down to just 31 riders by the finish, and Rafferty one of those.

On the line the remains of the bunch were 11 seconds down on winner and runner-up, Matisse Van Kerckhove (Visma-Lease a Bike Development) and Nicolò Arrighetti (General Store-Essegibi-F.Lli Curia).

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Arrighetti was up the road for 120km in a six-man group, with Van Kerckhove getting away from what was left of the peloton and bridging across to the leaders solo with about 17km to go.

Last time up the climb, Van Kerckhove and Arrighetti got away from the breakaway and survived to the finish, where Van Kerckhove won the sprint for victory, also taking the race lead.

Rafferty was 29th on the stage and is now 18th overall, one of 25 riders all equal on time at 21 seconds.

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