The Groupama-FDJ rider launched his attack around 100m from the line and had the legs to comfortably finish ahead of Michael Matthews in second and Fabio Felline in third.
Bora-Hansgrohe's Sagan was swamped on the inside and finished down in eighth on stage six as his wait for a victory goes on.
Demare, who held off Sagan and Davide Ballerini to win stage four in a photo finish, admits he took a risk as he waited for the perfect moment to time his sprint finish.
"This is amazing. It was an incredibly hard finish," Demare said post-race. "I launched the sprint and can't believe I won it. I said if I won the first one, there'd be more.
"We tried and now we've shaken off the pressure. It was risky and I didn't think there'd be a chance for a sprint and that Bora would control the race.
"At 200m I said, ‘I'm going to go for it’, and it worked out. Thanks to the team who trusted me and lead me."
There was no change in terms of the overall race leader at the end of the 188km journey from Castrovillari to Matera, with Joao Almeida keeping hold of his Maglia Rosa.
Almeida crashed with 36km to go and veered into the road, but the bunch soon eased up and the Deceuninck-Quick-Step rider made up some ground.
The Portuguese holds a 43-second lead over Bahrain-McLaren's Pello Bilbao in the general classification, while Wilco Kelderman is a further five seconds back.
STAGE RESULT
1. Arnaud Demare (Groupama-FDJ) 04:54:38
2. Michael Matthews (Team Sunweb) same time
3. Fabio Felline (Astana) same time
4. Juan Sebastian Molano Benavides (UAE Team Emirates) same time
5. Davide Cimolai (Start-Up Nation) same time
CLASSIFICATION STANDINGS
General Classification
1. Joao Almeida (Deceuninck-Quick-Step) 22:01:01
2. Pelle Bilbao (Bahrain-McLaren) +00:43
3. Wilco Kelderman (Team Sunweb) +00:48
Points Classification
1. Arnaud Demare (Groupama-FDJ) 106
2. Peter Sagan (Bora-Hansgrohe) 67
3. Michael Matthews (Team Sunweb) 55
King of the Mountains
1. Filippo Ganna (Team INEOS) 41
2. Jonathan Caicedo (EF Pro Cycling) 40
3. Domenico Pozzovivo (NTT Pro Cycling) 19
WHAT'S NEXT?
Stage seven is 143km and takes the riders from Matera to Brindisi. It is the second-shortest road stage of the Corsa Rosa, with the only hill of note early on.
The Englishman pulled clear of the breakaway group and called upon his time-trial experience to sustain a clear lead to the finish line.
Dowsett, who broke track cycling's world hour record back in 2015, had endured a "nightmare" start to the day when he tweeted his disgust at having mistakenly brushed his teeth before remembering he had not finished his morning coffee, adding: "I really hope the day picks up."
His timing could not have been better out on the 200-kilometre ride from Giovinazzo to Vieste, as he attacked the front after a six-rider breakaway with around 16km to go.
Dowsett stretched his lead to close to 30 seconds at the bell and the gap was at a massive 75 seconds by the time he crossed the line for his second Giro stage win and the first for his team.
Salvatore Puccio took second ahead of Matthew Holmes and Joseph Rosskopf after a short sprint for the line.
The peloton had long since turned attention towards Sunday's stage, with the general classification standings largely unaffected by what was going on further ahead.
Joao Almeida, who finished 17th, retains a 43-second lead at the top of the GC over Pello Bilbao.
STAGE RESULT
1. Alex Dowsett (Israel Start-Up Nation) 04:50:09
2. Salvatore Puccio (Team INEOS) +01:15
3. Matthew Holmes (Lotto Soudal) same time
4. Joseph Rosskopf (CCC Team) same time
5. Mathias Brandle (Israel Cycling Academy) + 02:10
CLASSIFICATION STANDINGS
General Classification
1. Joao Almeida (Deceuninck-Quick-Step) 29:52:34
2. Pello Bilbao (Bahrain-McLaren) +00:43
3. Wilco Kelderman (Team Sunweb) +00:48
Points Classification
1. Arnaud Demare (Groupama-FDJ) 163
2. Peter Sagan (Bora-Hansgrohe) 107
3. Michael Matthews (Team Sunweb) 87
King of the Mountains
1. Filippo Ganna (Team INEOS) 41
2. Jonathan Caicedo (EF Pro Cycling) 40
3. Matthew Holmes (Lotto Soudal) 20
WHAT'S NEXT?
Sunday's stage nine is a more arduous 208km from San Salvo to Roccaraso, which includes the steep climb to Passo Lanciano before the long ascent to the finish, as the riders move away from the coast and into the Apennine mountains.
The Eritrean outpaced Mathieu van der Poel in a pulsating sprint finish to win stage 10 in Jesi on Tuesday. Reports said Girmay was then hit in the eye by a cork from a bottle of sparkling wine as he celebrated the win, needing hospital treatment.
Girmay and Van der Poel had burst away from the pack, and the Intermarche-Wanty-Gobert rider fended off the Belgian to put his name in the record books.
Van der Poel gave the 22-year-old history-maker the thumbs-up followed by a warm embrace after they crossed the line at the end of a hilly 196-kilometre ride from Pescara.
Girmay had finished second on the opening stage of the race and secured another four top-five finishes before finally taking the top step of the podium.
An elated Girmay said: "It's unbelievable, I'm really grateful and happy.
"Since the start, we controlled [the stage]. I don't have any words for my team for what they did today."
Juan Pedro Lopez retained the maglia rosa – the leader's jersey – and a 12-second lead from Joao Almeida after having his advantage slashed on Sunday.
There had been a shake-up in the general classification battle on Sunday, but Lopez remains the man to catch and Romain Bardet kept third place - with 14 seconds to make up the leader.
Girmay's 'best moment ever' arrives
Girmay had stated before this race that "it's going to be, I think, the best moment ever" when a black African rider won a Grand Tour stage.
He added: "It's a dream of all African cyclists to win in a Grand Tour, especially the Tour [de France] or Giro. A black rider has never won a Grand Tour stage."
Girmay did not have long for that moment to arrive and there will surely be more to come for the youngster.
STAGE RESULT
1. Biniam Girmay (Intermarche-Wanty-Gobert) 4:32:07
2. Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Fenix) same time
3. Vincenzo Albanese (Eolo-Kometa) same time
4. Wilco Kelderman (Bora-Hansgrohe) same time
5. Richard Carapaz (INEOS Grenadiers) same time
CLASSIFICATION STANDINGS
General Classification
1. Juan Pedro Lopez (Trek-Segafredo) 42:24:08
2. Joao Almeida (UAE Team Emirates) +0:12
3. Romain Bardet (Team DSM) +0:14
Points Classification
1. Arnaud Demare (Groupama-FDJ) 151
2. Biniam Girmay (Intermarche-Wanty-Gobert) 148
3. Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Fenix) 90
King of the Mountains
1. Diego Rosa (Eolo-Kometa) 83
2. Koen Bouwman (Jumbo-Visma) 69
3. Lennard Kamna (Bora-Hansgrohe) 43
The Lotto Soudal rider beat Davide Cimolai (Israel Start-up Nation) and Tim Merlier (Alpecin-Fenix) in a sprint finish at the end of a 181km stage from Notaresco to Termoli.
Australian Ewan, who also triumphed on stage five, now has five career stage wins at the Giro and 11 victories to his name across the three grand tours.
Towards the end of a quiet stage, Fernando Gaviria (UAE Team Emirates) - who ultimately finished sixth - made the first move but was unable to make it stick, with Ewan winning comfortably.
Attila Valter of Groupama-FDJ remains in the leader's pink jersey after finishing safely in the peloton. He is 11 seconds clear of Remco Evenepoel.
"It was a question of being smart and a lot of teamwork," stage winner Ewan said as he described the finish over some tight and twisty roads.
"There were a few points in the last 10km where we needed to be in the front so we didn't have to brake and we got a really good ride in. They did a really good job.
"My legs were burning at the end, it was basically sprinting for the last 450 metres with a slight uphill so it was a tough one.
"When Gavaria goes you know he has the strength and the speed to hold it. I had a bit of a run and really accelerated."
STAGE RESULT
1. Caleb Ewan (Lotto Soudal) 4:42:12
2. Davide Cimolai (Israel Start-up Nation) same time
3. Tim Merlier (Alpecin-Fenix) "
4. Matteo Moschetti (Trek-Segafredo) "
5. Andrea Pasqualon (Intermarche - Wanty - Gobert Materiaux) "
CLASSIFICATION STANDINGS
General Classification
1. Attila Valter (Groupama-FDJ) 26:59:18
2. Remco Evenepoel (Deceuninck-Quick Step) +0.11
3. Egan Bernal (INEOS Grenadiers) +0.16
Points Classification
1. Caleb Ewan (Lotto Soudal) 106
2. Tim Merlier (Alpecin-Fenix) 83
3. Giacomo Nizzolo (Team Qhubeka Assos) 76
King of the Mountains
1. Gino Mader (Bahrain Victorious) 26
2. Geoffrey Bouchard (AG2R Citroen Team) 18
3. Vincenzo Albanese (Eolo-Kometa) 16
Eolo-Kometa Cycling Team rider Fortunato was part of an 11-rider breakaway as the peloton climbed the iconic Zoncolan in the final stages of the 206.5 kilometre ride from Cittadella.
Together with Jan Tratnik (Bahrain Victorious), Fortunato slipped away from the rest of the pack and then attacked solo on the toughest part of the climb with around 2.3km left.
Tratnik was in view with around 1,000 metres to go but Fortunato held on for a win on what is his Grand Tour debut.
"The breakaway went easy all day but at the start of the Zoncolan I attacked and stayed behind Tratnik. My legs are very good and I'm very, very happy," he said after the stage.
Bernal (Ineos Grenadiers) finished fourth on the stage, having responded to a late attack from Simon Yates (Team BikeExchange) and responding with a move of his own on the Briton with only a few hundred metres remaining.
Yates is now second overall, one minute and 33 seconds back, with Damiano Caruso (Bahrain Victorious) a further 18 seconds behind in third.
Aleksandr Vlasov (Astana Premier Tech) had started the day second in the General Classification but could not reply to the moves made by Bernal and Yates, and now finds himself fourth overall.
"I think it’s a good gap, but I need to have focus," Bernal said.
"Everything can happen in the Giro. It looks like 1:30 is enough time but you never know. I need to be calm with the gap."
STAGE RESULT
1. Lorenzo Fortunato (Eolo-Kometa Cycling Team) 5:17:22
2. Jan Tratnik (Bahrain Victorious) +00:26
3. Alessandro Covi (UAE Team Emirates) +00:59
4. Egan Bernal (Ineos Grenadiers) +1:43
5. Bauke Mollema (Trek-Segafredo) +1:47
CLASSIFICATION STANDINGS
General Classification
1. Egan Bernal (INEOS Grenadiers) 58:30:47
2. Simon Yates (Team BikeExchange) +1:33
3. Damiano Caruso (Bahrain Victorious) +1:51
Points Classification
1. Peter Sagan (Bora-Hansgrohe) 135
2. Giacomo Nizzolo (Team Qhubeka Assos) 126
3. Davide Cimolai (Israel Start-Up Nation) 113
King of the Mountains
1. Geoffrey Bouchard (AG2R Citroen Team) 96
2. Egan Bernal (INEOS Grenadiers) 57
3. Bauke Mollema (Trek-Segafredo) 50
Tao Geoghegan Hart finished top of the general classification standings in 2020, and Ganna ensured INEOS hold the maglia rosa once more after day one.
Ganna won the same stage last year – a 15km individual time trial from Monreale to Palermo – and repeated the feat on an 8.6km course in Turin this time around.
The defending time trial world champion, who won four stages in total in the 2020 Giro, went round in a time of 8:47, beating Edoardo Affini (Jumbo-Visma) by 10 seconds.
Affini and his team-mate Tobias Foss had looked well placed after their efforts, but Ganna ultimately had far too much power as he claimed what is the third-fastest individual time trial record in Giro history.
"It was a lot of time waiting in the hot seat at the finish, but I've won the stage, I'm here, and I'm really happy," Ganna, who recorded an estimated average speed of 58.748kmph, said in a flash interview.
"Now, we think about tomorrow, and recovering, because this Giro is really hard. I have this amazing victory."
Ganna is the first rider to wear the pink jersey after stage one of successive Giros since Francisco Moser in 1984 and 1985, while only Diego Ulissi (eight) and Vincenzo Nibali (seven) have won more stages in the event of the riders taking part this year.
Deceuninck-Quick Step riders Joao Almeida, Remi Cavagna and Remco Evenepoel all claimed top 10 finishes, while only a second separated GC favourites Simon Yates (Team BikeExchange) and Egan Bernal (INEOS Grenadiers), who recorded times of 9:07 and 9:08 respectively.
STAGE RESULT
1. Filippo Ganna (INEOS Grenadiers) 8:47
2. Edoardo Affini (Jumbo-Visma) +00:10
3. Tobias Foss (Jumbo-Visma) +00:13
4. Joao Almeida (Deceuninck-Quick-Step) +00:17
5. Remi Cavagna (Deceuninck-Quick-Step) +00:41
CLASSIFICATION STANDINGS
General Classification
1. Filippo Ganna (INEOS Grenadiers) 8:47
2. Edoardo Affini (Jumbo-Visma) +00:10
3. Tobias Foss (Jumbo-Visma) +00:13
Points Classification
1. Filippo Ganna (INEOS Grenadiers) 15
2. Edoardo Affini (Jumbo-Visma) 12
3. Tobias Foss (Jumbo-Visma) 9
King of the Mountains
N/A
Team INEOS rider Ganna mastered the gruelling ascent of Valico di Montescuro and successfully navigated the descent to the finish line in damp conditions on stage five.
The Grand Tour debutant took the maglia rosa on the first day but lost it on stage three after dropping back to aid team leader Geraint Thomas - who subsequently withdrew from the race - following a crash in the neutral zone.
However, the 24-year-old was back in form on a 225-kilometre ride from Mileto to Camigliatello Silano, where Joao Almeida picked up four bonus seconds to extend his lead at the top of the general classification to 43 seconds.
Ganna spent the entire day in the breakaway and twice reeled in Hector Carretero on the ascent of Valico di Montescuro – a 24.4km climb at an average gradient of 5.6 per cent.
He somehow managed to stick with Einer Rubio and Thomas De Gendt, who did superbly to bridge the gap from the peloton, after the steeper middle section and then attacked with 16km remaining.
An incredible effort saw him establish a lead of just over a minute by the time he reached the summit and crossed the line 34 seconds ahead of the GC group, which saw Almeida pick up some valuable time.
Vincenzo Nibali failed to make a move after his Trek-Segafredo team-mate Pieter Weening was withdrawn due to feeling light dizziness after a crash, with Ganna moving into the maglia azzurra.
STAGE RESULT
1. Filippo Ganna (Team INEOS) 05:59:17
2. Patrick Konrad (Bora-Hansgrohe) +00:34
3. Joao Almeida (Deceuninck-Quick-Step) +00:34
4. Wilco Kelderman (Team Sunweb) +00:34
5. Lucas Hamilton (Mitchelton-Scott) +00:34
CLASSIFICATION STANDINGS
General Classification
1. Joao Almeida (Deceuninck-Quick-Step) 17:06:23
2. Pelle Bilbao (Bahrain-McLaren) +00:43
3. Wilco Kelderman (Team Sunweb) +00:48
Points Classification
1. Peter Sagan (Bora-Hansgrohe) 57
2. Arnaud Demare (Groupama-FDJ) 52
3. Diego Ulissi (UAE Team Emirates) 27
King of the Mountains
1. Filippo Ganna (Team INEOS) 41
2. Jonathan Caicedo (EF Pro Cycling) 40
3. Edoardo Zardini (Vini Zabu'-Brado-KTM) 18
WHAT'S NEXT?
The sprinters will be pleased to have a flat stage on Thursday, with a 188km journey from Castrovillari to Matera on the schedule.
The battle for General Classification glory looks to have come down to a two-man test of speed and nerve over 15.7 kilometres on a flat road from Cernusco sul Naviglio to Milan, after previous leader Wilco Kelderman drifted off the pace on stage 20.
At the end of Saturday's 190-kilometre ride from Alba, INEOS Grenadiers rider Geoghegan Hart and Team Sunweb's Hindley scaled the climb to Sestriere for a third time and finished almost neck and neck.
Englishman Geoghegan Hart pulled narrowly clear over the final metres, but Australian rival Hindley will start in the maglia rosa on Sunday, albeit with both riders on the same cumulative time - 85 hours, 22 minutes and seven seconds.
Kelderman, a team-mate of Hindley, finished a minute and 35 seconds off the pace set by the front two, who broke free on the final ascent.
The stage concluded with the unusual triple climb to Sestriere after French authorities earlier in the week insisted the race should be rerouted to avoid entering the country, amid concerns over roadside gatherings during the coronavirus pandemic.
It meant the daunting Colle dell'Agnello, with a peak of 2,744 metres, was removed from the equation, along with the Col d'Izoard.
A 21-rider breakaway held a seven-minute lead over the peloton at the halfway mark, but they were reeled in, with Geoghegan Hart's team-mate Rohan Dennis leading the assault.
Kelderman could not find a response and would need an extraordinary performance on Sunday to get back in contention.
Neither Hindley nor Geoghegan Hart has won a Grand Tour before, and this is their big chance.
STAGE RESULT
1. Tao Geoghegan Hart (INEOS Grenadiers) 04:52:45
2. Jai Hindley (Team Sunweb) +00:00
3. Rohan Dennis (INEOS Grenadiers) +00:25
4. Joao Almeida (Deceuninck-Quick-Step) +01:01
5. Andrea Vendrame (AG2R La Mondiale) +01:34
CLASSIFICATION STANDINGS
General Classification
1. Jai Hindley (Team Sunweb) 85:22:07
2. Tao Geoghegan Hart (INEOS Grenadiers) +00:00
3. Wilco Kelderman (Team Sunweb) +01:32
Points Classification
1. Arnaud Demare (Groupama-FDJ) 233
2. Peter Sagan (Bora-Hansgrohe) 184
3. Joao Almeida (Deceuninck-Quick-Step) 101
King of the Mountains
1. Ruben Guerreiro (EF Pro Cycling) 234
2. Tao Geoghegan Hart (INEOS Grenadiers) 157
3. Thomas De Gendt (Lotto-Soudal) 122
WHAT'S NEXT?
They think it's all over, and it will be after Sunday's pancake-flat time trial from Cernusco sul Naviglio to Milan, with all eyes on the clock.
Geoghegan Hart is now fourth in the general classification standings after he stuck with Team Sunweb duo Wilco Kelderman and Jai Hindley inside the final 10 kilometres of the 185km stage 15 on Sunday.
The 25-year-old then put on the afterburners in the last kilometre, out-sprinting his rivals to clinch Team INEOS Grenadiers' fifth stage victory of this year's Giro, which is still led by Joao Almeida.
INEOS' former team director Nicolas Portal died in March this year and Geoghegan Hart dedicated the triumph to him.
"This one was for Nico Portal, we lost him this spring and I think it's been really difficult for the team," he said.
"This is something incredible for me. I don't know about [the GC], I haven't seen the results, but crossing the line first is something truly incredible.
"We've had some great highs this season but also some big lows in the Tour, for me personally and in this race."
Deceuninck – Quick-Step's Almeida finished fourth and still holds the overall lead, with a 15-second advantage over Kelderman.
Hindley is just under three minutes back, a second ahead of Geoghegan Hart.
Two-time Giro winner Vincenzo Nibali lost over two minutes on the final climb, with the Italian down at seventh in the GC, while Giovanni Visconti took the maglia azzurra off Ruben Guerreiro.
STAGE RESULT
1. Tao Geoghegan Hart (INEOS) 04:58:52
2. Wilco Kelderman (Team Sunweb) +00:02
3. Jai Hindley (Team Sunweb) + 00:04
4. Joao Almeida (Deceuninck – Quick-Step) +00:37
5. Rafal Majka (Bora-Hansgrohe) +01:22
CLASSIFICATION STANDINGS
General Classification
1. Joao Almeida (Deceuninck-Quick-Step) 59:27:38
2. Wilco Kelderman (Team Sunweb) +00:15
3. Jai Hindley (Team Sunweb) +02:56
Points Classification
1. Arnaud Demare (Groupama-FDJ) 221
2. Peter Sagan (Bora-Hansgrohe) 184
3. Joao Almeida (Deceuninck-Quick-Step) 90
King of the Mountains
1. Giovanni Visconti (Vini Zabu-Brado-KTM) 118
2. Ruben Guerreiro (EF Pro Cycling) 87
3. Filippo Ganna (Team INEOS) 48
WHAT'S NEXT?
A final rest day is coming up on Monday, with another climbing route from Udine to San Daniele del Fruili making up stage 16 on Tuesday.
Geoghegan Hart had been set to play a supporting role to Geraint Thomas in Italy until the 2018 Tour de France champion suffered a fractured pelvis early in the race.
INEOS were without a number of their other big names amid a packed Grand Tour schedule due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Last year's Tour de France winner Egan Bernal and defending Giro champ Richard Carapaz targeted the Paris event, while the departing Chris Froome - a seven-time winner across all three elite events - entered the Vuelta a Espana.
That left Geoghegan Hart to take centre stage, but he thrived at the Giro to seize a share of the lead with Australia's Jai Hindley heading into the 21st and final stage.
It was the first time in Giro history two riders had been tied heading into the time trial, a 15.7-kilometre ride in Milan.
But Geoghegan Hart ultimately rode to a comfortable victory, finishing 39 seconds clear of his direct rival with a time of 18 minutes and 14 seconds.
"Not in my wildest dreams did I imagine this would be possible when we started out in Sicily almost a month ago," said Geoghegan Hart, who became the fifth British Grand Tour winner.
"All my career I've dreamt of trying to be top 10, top five maybe, in a race of this stature, so this is something completely and utterly different to that.
"I think it's going to take a long time for this to sink in."
INEOS' success did not end there, though, as heavy favourite and time trial world champion Filippo Ganna won the stage in 17:16.
Ganna, making his Grand Tour debut, claimed his fourth stage victory of the Giro after blowing away Victor Campenaerts' early benchmark of 17:48, which remained enough for second place.
STAGE RESULT
1. Filippo Ganna (INEOS Grenadiers) 17:16
2. Victor Campenaerts (NTT Pro Cycling) +00:32
3. Rohan Dennis (INEOS Grenadiers) +00:32
4. Joao Almeida (Deceuninck-Quick-Step) +00:41
5. Miles Scotson (Groupama-FDJ) +00:41
CLASSIFICATION STANDINGS
General Classification
1. Tao Geoghegan Hart (INEOS Grenadiers) 85:40:21
2. Jai Hindley (Team Sunweb) +00:39
3. Wilco Kelderman (Team Sunweb) +01:29
Points Classification
1. Arnaud Demare (Groupama-FDJ) 233
2. Peter Sagan (Bora-Hansgrohe) 184
3. Joao Almeida (Deceuninck-Quick-Step) 108
King of the Mountains
1. Ruben Guerreiro (EF Pro Cycling) 234
2. Tao Geoghegan Hart (INEOS Grenadiers) 157
3. Thomas De Gendt (Lotto-Soudal) 122
A moment of joy for Girmay turned sour on Tuesday, when he became the first black African winner of a Grand Tour stage but then had to be taken to hospital in the town of Jesi.
The freak incident occurred on the podium as he leaned down to open a large bottle of the sparkling wine and the cork flew straight against his left eye, causing Girmay to show immediate anguish.
He put on a brave face to spray the bottle, in keeping with tradition, but spent much of his time on the stage with the injured eye closed before being taken away for treatment.
Intermarche-Wanty Gobert team doctor Piet Daneels told Belgian broadcaster Sporza: "After the ceremony, Girmay could no longer see.
"We immediately came to the hospital of Jesi, here he was treated well. He had a bleeding in the anterior chamber of the eye. Such bleeding is not threatening to the eye itself, but it is important that this is monitored."
Girmay was able to leave hospital later and be reunited with members of his team.
"At the moment it is better. But to decide whether he starts tomorrow, that will have to take another night," Daneels added on Tuesday evening.
"As it stands now, I don't think there is permanent damage, but we have to wait and see. There will be a new evaluation tomorrow, but we will be careful with this incident."
Girmay fended off Mathieu van der Poel in a sprint finish to win stage 10 in Jesi, at the end of a hilly 196-kilometre ride from Pescara.
The 22-year-old Girmay finished second on the opening stage of the race and secured another four top-five finishes before finally taking the top step of the podium.
Wednesday's 203km stage takes the riders from Santarcangelo di Romagna to Reggio Emilia Parmigiano.
Guerreiro had enough in the tank at the end of a 208-kilometre route from San Salvo to Roccaraso to sprint away from Jonathan Castroviejo for a maiden Grand Tour stage victory.
The 26-year-old takes over as the leader of the king of the mountains battle and is only the second rider from Portugal to win a Giro stage, Acacio Da Silva having crossed the line first five times in the 1980s.
Guerreiro secured EF Pro Cycling's second stage win of the 2020 edition of the race, having been among five breakaway riders in the rain on Sunday.
He reacted when Castroviejo went on the attack and had the pace to go clear of the INEOS Grenadiers rider in an uphill finish after a tough final climb of almost 10km and won by a margin of eight seconds.
Mikkel Bjerg was third, finishing 58 seconds after Guerreiro, with Kilian Frankiny and Larry Warbasse completing the top five.
Guerreiro's compatriot Almeida continues to lead the race, but his advantage was reduced to 30 seconds.
Wilco Kelderman is up to second behind Deceuninck-Quick-Step's Almeida, who started the day with an advantage of 43 seconds over Pello Bilbao (Bahrain-McLaren).
Bilbao gained four seconds on Almeida, who will no doubt be ready for a day off on Monday, the first rest day.
STAGE RESULT
1. Ruben Guerreiro (EF Pro Cycling) 05:41:20
2. Jonathan Castroviejo (INEOS Grenadiers) +00:08
3. Mikkel Bjerg (UAE Team Emirates) +00:58
4. Kilian Frankiny (Groupama–FDJ) 01:16
5. Larry Warbasse (AG2R La Mondiale) 01:16
CLASSIFICATION STANDING
General Classification
1. Joao Almeida (Deceuninck-Quick-Step) 35:35:50
2. Wilco Kelderman (Team Sunweb) +00:30
3. Pello Bilbao (Bahrain-McLaren) +00:39
Points Classification
1. Arnaud Demare (Groupama-FDJ) 167
2. Peter Sagan (Bora-Hansgrohe) 110
3. Michael Matthews (Team Sunweb) 87
King of the Mountains
1. Ruben Guerreiro (EF Pro Cycling) 84
2. Giovanni Visconti (Vini Zabu-Brado-KTM) 76
3.Jonathan Castroviejo (INEOS Grenadiers) 45
WHAT'S NEXT?
A rest day awaits the riders on Monday before they take on a 177km 10th stage from Lanciano to Tortoreto, with five sharp ascents to come in the final 65km.
Hindley went into Sunday's time trial with a one-minute, 25-second lead over Richard Carapaz, having overtaken the Ecuadorian in the Dolomites on Saturday.
The Australian was wearing the maglia rosa at the start of the final stage two years ago but finished second behind Tao Geoghegan Hart.
On that occasion, Hindley did not have a time advantage to play with however, and he did not let his lead slip in Verona.
"It's a beautiful feeling, I had a lot of emotions out there today," BORA-Hansgrohe rider Hindley said.
"I had in the back of my mind what happened in 2020, and I wasn't going to let that happen again. To take the win, it's incredible.
"I was getting updates and I felt pretty good on the bike. I wasn't really fighting it, so I knew I was on a decent ride.
"In the end, I took the descent pretty cautiously and then gave it everything to the line. It's an incredible feeling."
Hindley recorded a time of 23:55 across the 17.4km route, just over a minute-and-a-half slower than stage winner Matteo Sobrero (22:24), Italy's national time trial champion.
Carapaz, on his 29th birthday, was seven seconds faster than Hindley, but could not make a big enough dent as his place in second was confirmed, although he did extend his advantage on Mikel Landa.
Arnaud Demare's success in stages five, six and 13 meant he had already done enough to claim the maglia ciclamino, with Koen Bouwman confirmed as king of the mountains.
Australia's day
Hindley's victory makes him the first Australian to win the Giro d'Italia and came 20 years to the day since Cadel Evans became Australia's first wearer of the maglia rosa.
"The pink jersey, it’s the most beautiful jersey in cycling," Hindley said. "It's a privilege and an honour to wear this again. It was a bumpy road to get back here and I didn't know if I was going to get a chance to wear this again."
STAGE RESULT
1. Matteo Sobrero (Team BikeExchange-Jayco) 22:24
2. Thymen Arensman (Team DSM) +0:23
3. Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Fenix) +0:40
4. Bauke Mollema (Trek-Segafredo) +1:08
5. Ben Tulett (INEOS Grenadiers) +1:12
CLASSIFICATION STANDINGS
General Classification
1. Jai Hindley (BORA-Hansgrohe) 86:31:14
2. Richard Carapaz (INEOS Grenadiers) +1:18
3. Mikel Landa (Bahrain Victorious) +3:24
Points Classification
1. Arnaud Demare (Groupama-FDJ) 254
2. Fernando Gaviria (UAE Team Emirates) 136
3. Mark Cavendish (Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl) 132
King of the Mountains
1. Koen Bouwman (Jumbo-Visma) 294
2. Giulio Ciccone (Trek-Segafredo) 163
3. Alessandro Covi (UAE Team Emirates) 102
Alessandro Covi went solo to win a brutal stage 20 on the Passo Fedaia in his homeland, and there was huge drama behind the UAE Team Emirates rider.
Carapaz came into the penultimate stage with a three-second lead over Hindley, but his hopes of winning the prestigious race for a second time were surely dashed on a lung-busting final climb.
The INEOS Grenadiers rider cracked just under two kilometres from the end of the 168km route from Belluno, and Hindley capitalised to take the maglia rosa in the Dolomites.
Hindley is poised to become the first Australian winner of the Giro after he had plenty in the tank while Carapaz was suffering, finishing sixth having been given great support by BORA-Hansgrohe team-mate Lennard Kamna.
Kamna had been among a breakaway group but dropped back to assist Hindley on what looks set to be the decisive day of the race, which saw Koen Bouwman crowned the King of the Mountains.
The 2019 champion Carapaz crossed the line in 11th on a painful day for the Ecuadorian, with Mikel Landa remaining third in the general classification after finishing ninth.
With only a 17.4km time trial to come in Verona on Sunday, Hindley is ready to make history
He told Eurosport: "I knew this was going to be the crucial stage of the race, I knew it was a brutal finish and if you had the legs you can make a difference.
"It was perfect with Lennard up the road in the breakaway, and he couldn't have timed it better to drop back in help. When I knew Carapaz had cracked, I just went all out."
Asked if that should be mission accomplished, Hindley replied: "We'll see how it goes, it's always hard to say how a time trial will go on the last day of a three-week race. I'll die for the jersey."
Deja vu but surely no denying Hindley this time around
Hindley was wearing the maglia rosa at the start of the final stage two years ago but finished second behind Tao Geoghegan Hart.
It was a different story in 2020, though, as the 26-year-old did not have a time advantage to play with.
Hindley was a man on a mission on Saturday, and he will surely not be denied a maiden Grand Tour title this weekend.
It was also a day to remember for Covi, who secured a maiden Grand Tour stage win, finishing 32 seconds before Domen Novak.
STAGE RESULT
1. Alessandro Covi (UAE Team Emirates) 4:46:34
2. Domen Novak (Bahrain Victorious) +0:32
3. Giulio Ciccone (Trek-Segafredo) +0:37
4. Antonio Pedrero (Movistar) +1:36
5. Thymen Arensman (Team DSM) +1:50
CLASSIFICATION STANDINGS
General Classification
1. Jai Hindley (BORA-Hansgrohe) 86:07:19
2. Richard Carapaz (INEOS Grenadiers) +1:25
3. Mikel Landa (Bahrain Victorious) +1:51
Points Classification
1. Arnaud Demare (Groupama-FDJ) 254
2. Fernando Gaviria (UAE Team Emirates) 136
3. Mark Cavendish (Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl) 132
King of the Mountains
1. Koen Bouwman (Jumbo-Visma) 294
2. Giulio Ciccone (Trek-Segafredo) 163
3. Alessandro Covi (UAE Team Emirates) 102
The Australian secured victory on Blockhaus despite being pushed hard by Bardet and Carapaz, with a very tight sprint ending at the top of the second summit.
Mikel Landa and Joao Almeida were not far behind, while Juan Pedro Lopez was able to recover from coming off his bike to retain the maglia rosa heading into Monday's rest day.
"It's pretty incredible," Hindley said after the race. "It wasn't the easiest year I had last year. I worked [hard] to get back to the level to compete at the Giro and I'm at a loss for words. It's pretty amazing.
"I was just trying to survive as best I could, actually. I knew it was flattening out in the last k's and there was a right-hander before the finish with around 200m to go. I wanted to take the corner first and gave it everything to the line."
It was a day to forget for Simon Yates, though, who finished the stage over 11 minutes down on Hindley, and is likely now out of contention for the maglia rosa.
Lopez fought hard to recover after being forced off his bike following a collision with Sam Oomen, though the Spaniard offered an apology to the Jumbo-Visma rider afterwards.
"I want to say sorry to Sam Oomen because after we touched each other and I had to put one foot on the ground, I threw my bottle," Lopez said.
"When I came to my first Giro I didn't expect to have the maglia rosa so it was hard to believe that I still have it. I'm very tired but luckily I have a rest day tomorrow."
NO BREAKS IN THE HAND IS WORTH ONE IN THE BUSH
It must have been a scary moment for Natnael Tesfatsion as he went too fast into a left turn, veered off the road and flew over his handlebars headfirst into a bush.
He got back to his feet and carried on, but it was a particular blow after he had been leading the breakaway.
Tesfatsion was seen by a doctor and the official Giro race feed thankfully confirmed he had safely resumed the race, with seemingly more ego bruised than body.
STAGE RESULT
1. Jai Hindley (Bora-Hansgrohe) 5:34:44
2. Romain Bardet (Team DSM) same time
3. Richard Carapaz (Ineos Grenadiers) same time
4. Mikel Landa (Bahrain-Victorious) same time
5. Joao Almeida (UAE Team Emirates) same time
CLASSIFICATION STANDINGS
General Classification
1. Juan Pedro Lopez (Trek-Segafredo) 37:52:01
2. Joao Almeida (UAE Team Emirates) +0:12
3. Romain Bardet (Team DSM) +0:14
Points Classification
1. Arnaud Demare (Groupama-FDJ) 147
2. Biniam Girmay (Intermarche-Wanty-Gobert) 120
3. Mark Cavendish (Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl Team) 78
King of the Mountains
1. Diego Rosa (Eolo-Kometa) 83
2. Koen Bouwman (Jumbo-Visma) 69
3. Lennard Kamna (Bora-Hansgrohe) 43
The Giro returned in some style on Tuesday following Monday's rest day, with a 202km route from Salo to Aprica that included three category one climbs and over 5,000 metres of climbing in total.
Hirt came out in front, sealing the first grand tour stage win of his career.
The Intermarche-Wanty-Gobert rider was part of the breakaway and subsequently pushed up the final climb on the Valico di Santa Cristina before managing a difficult descent.
He finished seven seconds clear of Thymen Arensman, with Hindley sprinting ahead of Carapaz to put pressure on the rider wearing the maglia rosa and claim the four-second bonus for finishing third.
"I've had a few problems during the stage. My chain dropped, I cramped, but I never gave up," Hirt said.
"I'm glad I managed to go solo. I always said that my biggest achievement would be to win a stage at the Giro d'Italia and I could stop after that, but I won't stop now."
Carapaz said: "It's been a hard stage and at the end I'm happy. I thought I was going to win the sprint for third place.
"I eventually didn't, but it's still a good day for me. I've lost a few seconds on Hindley, but I gained more on [Joao] Almeida."
Alejandro Valverde, on his final Giro appearance, got himself up the GC standings, though not enough to be a true contender in the final week. He sits 11th overall.
Mythical Mortirolo
An initially big breakaway group split on the Mortirolo Pass, one of the most notorious climbs in professional cycling.
Hirt was one of the riders to drop off, but he recovered brilliantly and joined a seven-strong group that wound its way to the final climb.
"Every time I hear Mortirolo I want to anticipate. I wanted to go in the breakaway today," Hirt said.
"There were difficult moments when the group split, so then we had to come back on the Mortirolo, then in the end on the last climb I had a problem with my bike, it was not shifting properly and the chain was jumping.
"Then I had cramps on the downhill, so I had all these problems, but I just wanted to fight all the way to the finish."
STAGE RESULT
1. Jan Hirt (Intermarche-Wanty-Gobert) 5:40:45
2. Thymen Arensman (Team DSM) +0:07
3. Jai Hindley (BORA-Hansgrohe) +1:24
4. Richard Carapaz (INEOS Grenadiers) +1:24
5. Alejandro Valverde (Movistar) +1:24
CLASSIFICATION STANDINGS
General Classification
1. Richard Carapaz (INEOS Grenadiers) 68:49:06
2. Jai Hindley (Bora-Hansgrohe) +0:03
3. Joao Almeida (UAE Team Emirates) +0:44
Points Classification
1. Arnaud Demare (Groupama-FDJ) 238
2. Mark Cavendish (Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl) 121
3. Fernando Gaviria (UAE Team Emirates) 117
King of the Mountains
1. Koen Bouwman (Jumbo-Visma) 167
2. Giulio Ciccone (Trek-Segafredo) 99
3. Diego Rosa (EOLO-Kometa) 92
The Eritrean became the first black African winner of a Grand Tour stage when he sprinted away from Mathieu van der Poel in a sprint finish in Jesi.
Girmay's celebrations were cut short when he leaned down to open a bottle of champagne and was struck in the eye by the cork.
The 22-year-old was taken to hospital, where it was discovered that he sustained a haemorrhage in the anterior chamber of the left eye.
Girmay was able to return to the team hotel on Tuesday evening, but did the Intermarche-Wanty Gobert rider will play no further part in the Giro.
Team doctor Piet Daneels said: "Following an incident on the podium, medical examinations revealed a haemorrhage in the anterior chamber of the left eye of Biniam Girmay.
"His injury is evolving in the right direction and will be followed up by a medical team in the next days. In order to minimize the risk of expansion of the haemorrhage and the intraocular pressure,
"It is strongly recommended to avoid physical activity. Our priority is a complete healing of the injury and that's why we decided together with the rider and the sports direction that Biniam will not appear at the start of the eleventh stage."
History-maker Girmay had finished second in the opening stage and secured another three top-five finishes before winning stage 10.
The German took the victory after a sprint finish with Juan Pedro Lopez, though there was sufficient consolation for the Spaniard as he now holds the maglia rosa.
It was Kaemna's first stage win in the Giro, and his second Grand Tour victory following the Villard-de-Lans stage at the 2020 Tour de France.
Lopez at 24 years of age is the youngest Spanish rider in the maglia rosa ever, taking the record from Alberto Contador (2008).
After the win, Kaemna revealed his belief of a "tacit agreement" for him to take the stage victory and Lopez to claim the maglia rosa, though that did not appear to be the case as Lopez turned the final corner without allowing much space.
"It was a very tough lap, especially the final climb," Kaemna said. "I thought it was gone when Lopez was signaled at 30. When I took him back maybe there was a tacit agreement, stop with me and maglia rosa with him.
"I'm happy to have won a stage, it takes a lot of pressure off the team too."
A 14-man breakaway had established a lead of over seven minutes as the climb to Mount Etna began, with Alpecin Fenix's Stefano Oldani eventually making a move out in front with six other riders.
However, Lopez took control after that, before Kaemna joined him for the last 2.5km as the duo set up an exciting finish, which the latter took on the final corner.
MOTORBIKE CRASH ALMOST RUINS RACE
The day did not get off to the best start for many riders as a motorbike caused a crash in the early phases of stage four.
The motorbike was part of the race convoy and had moved close to a tightly-packed peloton, before it clipped something at the side of the road and went down, causing several riders to fall with it, while many others were forced to stop.
Roger Kluge of Lotto Soudal seemed to hit the vehicle directly as he was riding behind it, but the German was able to get up and continue his race.
STAGE RESULT
1. Lennard Kaemna (Bora-Hansgrohe) 4:32:11
2. Juan Pedro Lopez (Trek-Segafredo) same time
3. Rein Taaramae (Intermarche-Wanty-Gobert) +0:34
4. Sylvain Moniquet (Lotto Soudal) +2:12
5. Mauri Vansevenant (Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl Team) +2:12
CLASSIFICATION STANDINGS
General Classification
1. Juan Pedro Lopez (Trek-Segafredo) 14:17:07
2. Lennard Kaemna (Bora-Hansgrohe) +0:39
3. Rein Taaramae (Intermarche-Wanty-Gobert) +0:58
Points Classification
1. Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Fenix) 62
2. Biniam Girmay (Intermarche-Wanty-Gobert) 55
3. Mark Cavendish (Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl) 53
King of the Mountains
1. Lennard Kaemna (Bora-Hansgrohe) 40
2. Juan Pedro Lopez (Trek-Segafredo) 18
3. Rein Taaramae (Intermarche-Wanty-Gobert) 12
The 207-kilometre route from Pinzolo to Laghi di Cancano provided drama aplenty, ending with a new race leader and a stage win for Hindley, who sits second in the General Classification, 12 seconds back from fellow Team Sunweb rider Kelderman.
The daunting Passo dello Stelvio was where the cracks showed for Almeida, the 25km climb to an altitude of 2,758 metres all but ending his hopes of glory as his 17-second advantage gave way to a deficit of over two minutes.
Almeida had described the slog up to the Giro's highest point as "great" before Thursday's stage, but he may take a different view after he was dropped with just under 50km to go, losing the virtual lead to Kelderman.
But the Dutchman was facing a battle to keep up with a leading group featuring Tao Geoghegan Hart, himself now firmly in the shake-up at 15 seconds off the GC leader.
The INEOS Grenadiers rider was joined at the front by Hindley and team-mate Rohan Dennis, who was in eye-catching form as he ascended the Cima Coppi.
It was a blistering pace that put paid to any chance Vincenzo Nibali had of triumphing as the veteran fell out of contention, even before the 21 hairpins heading towards the finish line at Laghi di Cancano.
With Dennis' race run, Geoghegan Hart and Hindley contested the sprint on an uphill finish and it was the Australian who crossed the line first to earn a time bonus that put him ahead of his British rival in riveting race now led by Kelderman.
STAGE RESULT
1. Jai Hindley (Team Sunweb) 06:03:03
2. Tao Geoghegan Hart (INEOS Grenadiers) +00:00
3. Pello Bilbao (Bahrain-McLaren) +00:46
4. Jakob Fuglsang (Astana Pro Team) +01:25
5. Wilco Kelderman (Team Sunweb) +02:18
CLASSIFICATION STANDINGS
General Classification
1. Wilco Kelderman (Team Sunweb) 77:46:56
2. Jai Hindley (Team Sunweb) +00:12
3. Tao Geoghegan Hart (INEOS Grenadiers) +00:15
Points Classification
1. Arnaud Demare (Groupama-FDJ) 221
2. Peter Sagan (Bora-Hansgrohe) 184
3. Joao Almeida (Deceuninck-Quick-Step) 94
King of the Mountains
1. Ruben Guerreiro (EF Pro Cycling) 234
2. Thomas De Gendt (Lotto-Soudal) 122
3. Tao Geoghegan Hart (INEOS Grenadiers) 115
WHAT'S NEXT?
Stage 19 largely spares the riders any further punishment on the climbing front, but they must still cover 258km from Morbegno to Asti. With a flat final 5km, this is one for the sprinters.
Lotto Soudal rider Ewan had the pace to burst away from heavy traffic and claim the fourth Giro stage win of his career ahead of Giacomo Nizzolo (Team Qhubeka Assos) and Elia Viviani (Cofidis).
The Australian's win in Cattolica on Wednesday was overshadowed by accidents in the closing stages of the 177-kilometre route from Modena.
Landa and Sivakov went down heavily in separate incidents, with the Spaniard taken to hospital after being unable to get back on his feet.
Bahrain Victorious rider Landa looked in great pain as he was treated on the roadside before an ambulance arrived.
Fellow general classification contender Sivakov crashed in the final 15km and although he was able to get back on his bike, it remains to be seen if the Russian will be able to continue.
Sivakov (Ineos Grenadiers) appeared to touch wheels with a team-mate as his hopes of winning the Giro evaporated in dramatic fashion.
Joe Dombrowski, leader of the king of the mountains, also crashed on his birthday a day after the American gave himself an early present by winning stage four.
Dombrowski had started the day second in the GC standings and his crash left Alessandro De Marchi with a 42-second advantage in the Maglia Rosa.
Francois Bidard was another rider who came off in a painful day for several riders, but a glorious one for Ewan after the peloton had reeled in Alexis Gougeard, Davide Gabburo and Simon Pellaud.
Ewan said: "The goal to start with was one [stage win], so I've done that, and I think you know me, I'm pretty hungry to win as much as I can, so maybe this is good confidence for the team and myself going forward and, you know, in the next few sprint stages it'll show."
STAGE RESULT
1. Caleb Ewan (Lotto Soudal) 4:07:01
2. Giacomo Nizzolo (Team Qhubeka Assos) same time
3. Elia Viviani (Cofidis) same time
4. Peter Sagan (Bora-Hansgrohe) same time
5. Fernando Gaviria Rendon (UAE Team Emirates) same time
CLASSIFICATION STANDINGS
General Classification
1. Alessandro De Marchi (Israel Start-Up Nation) 17:57:45
2. Louis Vervaeke (Alpecin-Fenix) +00:42
3. Nelson Oliveira (Movistar) +00:48
Points Classification
1. Giacomo Nizzolo (Team Qhubeka Assos) 72
2. Elia Viviani (Cofidis) 68
3. Tim Merlier (Alpecin-Fenix) 59
King of the Mountains
1. Joe Dombrowski (UAE-Team Emirates) 18
2. Vincenzo Albanese (Eolo-Kometa Cycling Team) 16
3. Rein Taaramae (Intermarche–Wanty–Gobert Materiaux) 13
