Eight years later, Australian Michael Matthews returned to victory in the Giro d'Italia by winning the third stage on Monday, in which Remco Evenepoel grabbed a second from his rival Primoz Roglic. In this transitional stage, 216 km long between Vasto and Melfi, the rider from Jayco-Alula won the sprint ahead of the Dane Mads Pedersen and his compatriot Kaden Groves.
The three men had managed to stay in the first group of the peloton after the two climbs of the day, placed about thirty kilometers from the finish, unlike other "big thighs" like the British Mark Cavendish, dropped. For Matthews, 32, this is the tenth stage win in a Grand Tour. He has won everywhere, four times at the Tour de France, three times at the Vuelta and now as many at the Giro, eight years after his last success on the Italian roads, in 2015.
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I have no words, the last three months have been difficult. So winning a stage is exceptional, it's more than I could have imagined, "said the Australian veteran, who validated the enormous work of his team on this day when the rain made its appearance for the first time.
The leaders of the general classification had, as expected, a quiet day, like Remco Evenepoel, once again very relaxed. But, after being offered... an egg by the Astana riders shortly after the start, the Belgian suddenly popped out of his box to win the last intermediate sprint and pocket three seconds of bonuses, against two to Roglic, in his wheel. "I wanted to be in front because of the rain and not let Primoz do the bonifs' alone. It didn't cost me a lot of energy, it's always good to take, especially after such an easy day," he commented.
Pinot takes the blue jersey
In the overall standings, the world champion is now 32 seconds ahead of Portugal's Joao Almeida and 44 seconds ahead of his Slovenian rival, who is third. Filippo Ganna and Brandon McNulty disappear from the Top 10. During a long strenuous stage, a first selection was made in the two successive climbs of Monticchio (6.3 km at 6.4% average) and Valico La Croce (2.6 km at 7.6%), about thirty kilometers from the goal.
This is where Thibaut Pinot showed himself for the first time in this Giro. The Frenchman, far behind in the prologue and who lost another 19 seconds in a break on Sunday, went for the points of the mountain by sprinting at the top of the two difficulties of the day to wear the blue jersey of best climber. He succeeds another Frenchman, Paul Lapeira, who wore him on Monday.
On Tuesday, starting from Venosa, the road will rise for a mid-mountain stage including three passes at more than 1,000 meters above sea level, including the summit finish in Lago Laceno, after a climb of 9.6 km at 6.2% average. This is the step targeted by Remco Evenepoel to drop the pink leader's jersey in favor of a breakaway, so as not to lose too much energy defending it. But if it does not go as planned, it will not matter, has already announced the Belgian who considers his team strong enough to support the weight of the race.
