Merlier won the third stage of the Giro d’Italia in a sprint with an insatiable Pogacar

The third stage of the Giro d’Italia has left again as the main character Tadej Pogacaralthough this time it was Tim Merlier who was able to take the victory. The Belgian from Soudal Quick-Step took the victory in a sprint that tried to destroy the ‘pink jersey’, reaching the last kilometer in the lead.

Because the leader of the race showed that does not understand energy reserve or recovery days: On a day that was not favorable for it, the Slovenian also attacked. Less than two kilometers from the end, at short climb before the finish line in Fossano after a mostly flat day. The Slovenian tried to surprise, which was forced Geraint Thomas get out of your steering wheel immediately. The peloton, from the rear, was able to hold back the acceleration in the last kilometer and Merlier won the sprint finish.

There is no rest in this Giro, even on stages like this Monday. I look forward to a day of 166 kilometers, between Novara and Fossano with an almost flat profile and slightly a fourth class port on Lu before sixty kilometers of racing. In other words, a day conducive to finding a breakaway and for the sprinters’ teams to take center stage.

This has been the case for most of the day. In a stage that came after the destruction of the first two days, with the mountains already, the cyclists tried to reserve every last ounce of strength. There were no movements in a platoon group until shortly before climbing Lu, the very short pass in the fourth class, which caused several attacks which were always controlled by the platoon.

The French Lilian Calmejane (Interarché-Wanty) and Italian David Ballerini (Astana Qazaqstan) tried to move to this elevation, after which they reached a minute and a half advantage. however, the transalpine stopped soon. Calmejane’s adventure didn’t go too far either.

It was after the intermediate sprint in Montegrosso when the group of sprinters who fought for him, with members of their teams, gave continuing the acceleration to achieve a distance of one minute over the peloton. Fernando Gaviria is included here by Movistar, in a group of more than twenty units which forced the men’s teams in the general classification to crowd themselves. The adventure of the escapees lasted only thirty kilometers.

Calm is back behind them, with the UAE as their boss and partner Pogacar is ready to fight for everything he can afford. Even the second intermediate sprint of the day in Montegrosso, just over twenty kilometers from the finish and where he accelerated, although he was overtaken by the sprinters of the race.

There was another moment for his show, since then have tried to derail the announced resolution sprint of the stage with an attack three kilometers from the end, taking advantage of one of the ramps to Fossano. It immediately approached the steering wheel Geraint Thomas and the strength of the platoon ended up chasing both of them without a problem less than five hundred meters from the end.

So, with a few more late surprises than expected, the sprint was launched and, in it, Merlier won ahead of Jonathan Milan (Lidl-Trek) and Biniam Girmay (Intermarché-Wanty). The Belgian added forty seconds to his victory as a professional, the second for him in a great tour of the stage after what he also achieved in the Giro in 2021.

in the back, Pogacar finally made it into the peloton and continues to lead with a difference of forty-five seconds to Thomas and Daniel Felipe Martínez. This Tuesday, the fourth stage of 190 kilometers between Acqui Terme and Andora, with a third-class port halfway along the route. In principle, with another stage favorable to the sprint finish. It remains to be seen if the Slovenian finally reserves his strength or also finds moments for another genius.