Following the crash-ridden fifth stage in wet conditions, the 162-kilometres starting and ending in Naples a welcome return of the sun for riders.

Italy's Alessandro De Marchi and Simon Clarke made the initial breakaway on the Picco Sant'Angelo climb.

The pair pushed on to build a two-minute gap heading into the final 30km.

It looked like they were going to hold on but ran out of steam just 300 metres before the finish line. 

Pedersen time his charge brilliantly to take victory in a bunch finish for Trek-Segafredo after 3hour 44min 45sec.

Points classification leader Jonathan Milan of Italy and Germany's Pascal Ackermann followed him across the line in second and third, respectively, to make up the podium.

"It was a tough day for the team and it’s nice to pay them back with a victory today," 2019 world champion Pedersen said.

"It was pretty close in the end.

"It was not easy to catch them for a long time.

"All the sprinters had to use all the guys we had available.

"We caught them with 300m to go.

"I feel sorry for those guys because they did really, really well - but I am happy I took the win."

Pedersen has now won a stage in all three Grand Tour races.

The 27-year-old picked up victories on stage 13 of last year's Tour de France before taking stages 13, 16, and 19 at last year's Vuelta a España on his way to first place in the overall points classification.

There was no change to the general classification at the Giro after stage six as Norway's Andreas Leknessund maintained his 28-second lead over Belgian Remco Evenepoel.

Frenchman Aurélien Paret-Peintre makes up the top three, 30 seconds off the pace.

Tomorrow is set to see athletes take on the toughest challenge so far on a 218km mountain stage from Capua to Gran Sasso.