Watch all the action from the 2023 Giro d'Italia on SBS VICELAND from May 6-28, with all the replays and highlights on plus news, analysis and much more on the SBS Sport website.
Leknessund distanced himself from the breakaway on the final climb of the day but was unable to shake off Paret-Peintre at the summit, the AG2R-Citroen rider later overtaking his rival on the finishing straight at Lago Laceno.
It was an impressive victory for the Frenchman, arguably the biggest of his career, but second-placed Leknessund would receive some consolation once Evenepoel crossed the line two minutes behind in 19th place.
The Soudal Quick-Step star’s efforts with the main pack were not enough to preserve the pink jersey, with that honour bestowed upon Leknessund after the stage to become only the second-ever Norwegian to wear the maglia rosa.
Evenepoel now trails the Team DSM rider by 28 seconds in the overall standings, with Paret-Peintre a further two seconds adrift in third place.
“It’s official? Yeah, that’s super special,” Leknessund said after the race. “Obviously, I went for the stage but I also knew that the pink was possible.
“I had one attack where I went all-in to drop him (Paret-Peintre). I made it but he came back and then my legs were hurting so much.
“But it’s super special to be in the pink. That was the goal before the stage – but as everyone knows, it’s hard, it’s not so easy to actually make this.”
Brandon McNulty was one of several UAE Team Emirates riders attempting to shake things up during the early portion of the 175-kilometre stage from Venosa, but they quickly encountered some trouble of their own.
Portuguese leader Joao Almeida was first caught out by a split in the peloton prior to the first of three categorised climbs, before Jay Vine nearly lost balance with his team car following a mechanical issue.
Paul Lapeira (AG2R-Citroen) was the next rider to struggle with the conditions and subsequently pulled out of the race, leaving Thibaut Pinot (Groupama-FDJ) to attack on the Passo del Crocella and extend his lead in the KOM standings.
It wasn’t until the 80-kilometre mark that the breakaway truly formed, with Leknessund and Paret-Peintre among a group of seven that also included Italy’s own Vincenzo Albanese (Eolo-Kometa).
The gap with the peloton only grew as the breakaway navigated both the Valico di Monte Carruozzo and Colle Molella, and Leknessund later sealed his grip on the leader’s jersey with an unseated attack near the summit that only Paret-Peintre could match.
It all served to set up a two-way sprint to the line, but one ultimately won by the 27-year-old who described the outcome as “a dream day, a perfect day for me”.
Watch Stage 5 of the Giro d'Italia LIVE tonight on SBS VICELAND and SBS On Demand from 8:30pm (AEST).
