Balsamo thwarts GC attacks to win Giro d'Italia stage 3

Cor Vos

The general classification favourites tried to take stage 3 with some critical attacks on a category 3 climb with 22 km to go, but the race came back together, and Elisa Balsamo sprinted to another stage win at the Giro d'Italia. Balsamo was far and away the fastest rider in the bunch.

[race_result id=9064 stage_id=90176 count=5 gc=0 year=2026]

[race_result id=9064 stage_id=90176 count=5 gc=5 year=2026]

How it happened

• With a hillier and potentially more unpredictable finale on tap for stage 3, the breakaway was filled with more than just Italian Continental riders. Nearly 9 km into the stage, five riders gained an advantage on the peloton, including Alison Jackson of St Michel-Preference Home-Auber 93 and Nienke Veenhoven of Visma-Lease a Bike. The two were joined by three Italians to keep the streak alive.
• The breakaway increased their advantage to over three minutes with 95 km to go in the stage, but by the 60 km to go mark, the break had split into two groups of three. Jackson remained in the lead trio, but the peloton continued to creep closer to the front of the race.
• As the race approached the Montenars climb, the gap to the breakaway of (now) three was swept up by the peloton, but behind, Canyon-SRAM was in trouble after a number of their riders were caught up in a crash. One of the riders caught up was their GC hopeful and Giro stage winner Antonia Niedermaier.
• On the climb, SD Worx-Protime led the race with Barbara Guarischi, who had briefly been a part of the breakaway, but as soon as FDJ United-Suez took over, it was clear that the French team had a plan.

Gery on the front for FDJ United-Suez

• When Célia Gery's turn was over, Anna van der Breggen took control and separated the GC hopefuls from the rest of the peloton.

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