As it happened: Giro d'Italia stage 3 decided by photo finish bunch sprint
Another day for the sprinters as the peloton heads to the Bulgarian capital of Sofia
Hello and welcome to stage three of the Giro d'Italia!
We’re in Bulgaria again, for a third and final stage before a rest day and border crossing brings the race back to the motherland. And the parcours is kind of like the middle ground between day one’s flat roads, and yesterday’s hills - there’s a long category two climb halfway through to challenge the sprinters, but after that a straightforward run-in to the line.
For the GC men, the day will be solely about survival, and yesterday’s nasty crash was a harrowing reminder of how things can go south so suddenly at Grand Tour racing. Five riders didn’t make it to the finish, and there have been more withdrawals overnight.
The biggest news overnight is that Adam Yates has pulled out of the race. The Brit went down hard yesterday, and fell out of GC contention, and it’s been decided he won’t race on having shown some delayed concussive symptoms.
That’s a stark reversal in fortunes from twelve months ago for the Yates family, who this time last year were celebrating Simon’s surprise overall victory at the Giro.
Adam Yates out of Giro d'Italia following brutal crash, won't start stage 3
Yates’ UAE team were easily the most ill-affected from that crash. Yates joins fellow climbers Jay Vine and Marc Soler in retiring, while their hopefuls for the stage yesterday, Antonio Morgado and Jhonatan Narváez, also went down. Today will be about recovering and regrouping, before they reassess how to approach this race with their depleted roster.
Adam Yates, battered and bruised at the end of yesterday's stage. Remarkably, this is the first of the 17 Grand Tours he has competed in that he has failed to finish.
Plovdiv is hosting today's stage, and the riders are moving through its throngs of crowds now for the unofficial start.
Race leader Guillermo Thomas Silva at the start.
So far at this Giro there have been no fights to get into the day’s break - will that be different today, now that the GC rankings have begun to take some shape, with many riders now well down on time already?
We're about to find out as the flag is about to be waved.
So far so familiar - Diego Pablo Sevilla and his Polti VisitMalta teammate Alessandro Tonelli have attacked with Bardiani's Manuele Tarozzi attacked right from the gun, and have been allowed up the road.
No more attacks were forthcoming, and it seems we have our break of the day already.
It’s very relaxed in the peloton, where riders are chatting with, rather than attacking, one another.
XDS Astana have placed two riders at the front of the peloton, but they're not exactly setting a pace yet, allowing the gap to continue to grow.
The gap's up to over three minutes.
160KM TO GO
And now it's up to 3:45, as nobody in the peloton has taken responsibility to control it.
Soudal-QuickStep have stepped up, putting Ayco Bastiaens at the front. They're showing confidence that their man Paul Magnier can repeat his stage 1 sprint success.
Soudal's Bastiaens is doing all the work for now, but there's a Unibet Rose Rockets rider behind hum. That suggests they believe Dylan Groenewegen can survive the climb to compete for the sprint today.
150KM TO GO
Soudal are being more stingy than teams from previous stages, bringing the gap down to about 2:30 and keeping it pegged there.
Thomas Silva, enjoying what has so far been a very comfortable day in the pink jersey.
The Unibet Rose Rockets rider is now contributing to the pace-setting.
And an XDS Astana rider is too, doing their bit to defend Silva's pink jerssey.
140KM TO GO
Together, the work of that trio in the peloton has brought the breakaway trio's lead down a little, to 2:20.
The three riders leading the race.
Another victim of yesterday’s crash was Bahrain-Victorious’ leader Santiago Buitrago, who suffered concussion after his fall.
130KM TO GO
The gap's gone up to three minutes. The same three riders are sharing turns at the front of the peloton, but have slowed down a bit.
Pink jersey favourite Jonas Vingegaard having a chat with Johan Price-Pejtersen in the peloton.
One rider who was involved in the crash, but who survived it to live another day at this Giro, was Derek Gee-West. Though held up by the incident, he didn’t seem too badly affected by it, based on the way he powered past riders while trying to rejoin the peloton. Ultimately he didn’t quite manage to, but retains his GC hopes by limiting his losses to one minute.
The road is going ever so slightly uphill, which it will continue to do so gradually until the onset of the official Borovets Pass, in about 35km’s time.
Arnaud De Lie is talking to his team car. On paper he’d be a top candidate for the stage in a sprint today, but really struggled on the climbs yesterday, so will be up against it to survive today’s.
The front of the peloton, being led by Magnier's Soudal teammate.
One team that managed to avoid disaster yesterday was Netcompany Ineos. Their riders avoided the crash, and came through the stage looking in a strong position, with Egan Bernal already up to third overall after smartly taking some easy bonus seconds on offer.
100KM TO GO
The gap's up a bit, to 2:50, as the leaders press on along these foothills of the upcoming climb.
Before the climb begins, there’s an intermediate sprint coming up with points on offer in the Maglia Ciclamino competition. Yesterday’s was hotly contested, so look out for Milan, Magnier and co to move to the front and start fighting for position imminently.
A reminder of the current points classification rankings:
1 Magnier 55
2 Andresen 35
3 Milan 26
4 Silva 25
5 Vernon 25
Jonathan Milan. We might get some idea of how well he's sprinting come this intermediate sprint. So far at this Giro, he hasn't quite looked at his best.
90KM TO GO
Still the break's lead remains at about 2:30. That might change when they start the official climb .
For now, the spint is the focus. The three riders are looking at each other - are they going to sprint against each other?
No - Tarozzi took the points uncontested.
Now we wait for the peloton. There are only 3 points left for the first rider from it to the line, and 1 from the next.
Lidl are making a move - in fact Milan has clipped off the front with Mullen.
Milan takes 3 points, and his teammate (who was Walscheid, not Mullen) takes 1.
Vernon was the only other rider to respond and follow the Lidl pair, but didn't bother sprinting against them. As for Magnier and the rest, they were happy to stay in the peloton and save their legs.
Here are the updated points classification rankings:
1 Magnier 55
2 Andresen 35
3 Milan 29
4 Sevilla 28
5 Silva 25
Only a kilometre left until the official start of the climb. It’s a slow and steady one, with an average gradient of 5.3% that will start to hurt towards the end of its 9.2km duration. Will any teams apply pressure to dry and drop some sprinters, or deem it too far from the finish to be worth the effort?
The breakaway trio are on the climb now.
80KM TO GO
2:25 is the gap as they begin this climb. The leaders will be hoping no team in the peloton wants to take it on up these slopes.
So far it's the same Astana, Soudal and Unibet riders setting tempo.
At last year’s Giro, this was the kind of climb that Mads Pedersen would have sensed as an opportunity to drop his rivals, but there isn’t really a rider of his profile at this year’s race, or a team with the same strength to execute such a plan.
This is looking bad for De Lie again, who, despite the modest pace, is struggling to hang on to the back of the peloton. He’s clearly still suffering from whatever ailed him yesterday.
Victor Campanerts is also out the back, away from all his other Visma teammates, but seems to be there more for emotional support for his compatriot and former teammate De Lie than suffering himself.
De Lie has now been dropped, and has Josh Giddings and Campanerts with him.
Campanerts crosses team boundaries to hand De Lie a bidon, and then makes his way back to the peloton. A sporting gesture, though his Visma team might think differently.
De Lie is having a really hard time. He ha two teammates with him, but finds himself almost a minute adrift of the peloton.
The break aare nearly at the top of the climb.
KOM - BOROVETS PASS
Sevilla takes the points uncontested. That means he'll go into the rest day not only as leader of the mountains classification, but with a 100% record having taken maximum points at every climb so far.
At last, some activity in the peloton on this climb - Scaroni jumps out of it before the summit to claim the remaining points on offer.
That's interesting, as it suggests Scaroni has, in the long term, designs on the KOM.
De Lie is over the top, about a minute and a half after the peloton. He has a long descent and flat section to try and make it back, which, if the pace remains as it is, should help him get back in.
De Lie has a rather unpleasant reason for his poor shape at the moment - a suspected cow dung infection, sustained during the Famenne Ardennes Classic.
60KM TO GO
2:15 is the gap between the leaders and the peloton, with De Lie making up ground behind, now 1:20 down.
De Lie has teammates Giddings and Rutsch with him to try and help get him back into the peloton.
And they've done it! They managed to get into the race convoy and speed through it and back onto the rear of the peloton.
There's been a change at the front of the peloton - Lidl have placed a rider there to help with the work. They're setting things up for Milan.
So it feels safe to say that today will end in a bunch sprint, barring any drama. But who is most likely to triumph in one?
Paul Magnier won the first, and is conspicuous in the purple jersey as a result of that win. His Giro has been a success whatever happens from now, but following that up with another would set him up for a potential haul of stage wins, plus position him well for a points classification challenge.
How will the race’s headline sprinter, Jonathan Milan, fare today? The home favourite didn’t get up to full speed in the opening stage sprint, but still described himself this morning as being at ‘98%.’ That would likely be a fast enough Milan to take victory.
Tobias Lund Andresen was second behind Magnier on the opening stage, a performance that indicates he has no problem replicating his strong early season form of Grand Tour level. His Decathlon team has had no presence at the front of the peloton all day, but have a tendency to move into position at just the right time come the sprint finale.
The climb completed, Dylan Groenewegen is poised to have a crack at the bunch sprint today. The Dutchman has been one of the in-form fastmen of the season, with four wins to his name already, and his team have been contributing to the chase all day. Of his 80+ career wins, none have come from the Giro - he’ll want to put that right today.
The peloton, where Lidl are now also helping out with the pace-setting through Amanuel Ghebreigzabhiher.
A crash prevented Kaden Groves from the chance of sprinting on stage one, but so far today has passed without incident. If he can get a clean run to the line, and is feeling better after that fall, he’ll be a contender.
30KM TO GO
The peloton is delaying making the catch, keeping the break at just under 30 seconds. But it's surely only a matter of time.
NSN were left very frustrated yesterday when, having spent practically all day leading the peloton with Ryan Mullen, their stage candidate Corbin Strong was denied a chance to go for the stage when he crashed out. They’ve done no work today, but their likely man for today - pure sprinter Ethan Vernon - is still one of the best shouts for the expected sprint today.
The breakaway riders aren't giving up yet. They’ve grown their lead back out to almost a minute again.
20KM TO GO
Just under a minute now for the break. The pace is up in the peloton, but it's still the same riders working, with no reinforcements.
There's a Red Bull Kilometre coming up in a few kilometres. With three riders in the break, there isn't set to be any time bonuses left for anyone in the peloton to snap up, as Bernal did yesterday.
Mechanical for Andresen! That's bad timing, only 16km from the finish.
Andresen is 35 seconds behind the peloton.
Tarozzi and Sevilla sprint for the Red Bull KM line... and Tarozzi wins it.
Andresen is safely back in the peloton. But how much prescious energy did he use up in the chase?
At the front, it's still the same riders at the front, but sprint trains are starting to form behind.
Now the trains come charging through! Bardiani take over at the front, rivalled by Lidl
A first crash of the day, Timo de Jong going down. He seems to be OK though.
Astana and Movistar also right towards the front.
It's a wide road, so lots of teams are spread across the road horizontally, near the front.
Sevilla, Tarozzi and Tonelli haven't given up yet, and are working well together.
On one side of the road Lidl lead, on the other Unibet Rose Rockets.
Just 2km to go - and the catch still hasn't been made...
It's getting a little panicked in the peloton, the catch not yet made.
Surely they can't stay clear?
Theyve been caught, and Unibet lead the peloton.
Milan starts his sprint early...
It was a three-way photo finish, with Milan taking second and Groenewegen third.
Unibet had the best lead out, but Milan took things into hios own hands by starting the sprnit early. He led for most of the sprint, too, with Magnier only coming past him just before the line.
Magnier did abruptly put his arms down after his initial celebration, and revealed in his post-race interview that he wasn’t sure if he hadn’t been ripped to the line.
A few riders notable by their absence in the finale - Groves and Vernon didn't manage to get involved.
No problem for Thomas Silva, who safely holds on to pink going into the rest day.
The win gives Magnier a commanding lead in the points classification. Here's what they look like now:
1 Magnier 105 points
2 Milan 64
3 Andresen 42
4 Mihkels 32
5 Sevilla 28
They might have been forgotten about in the excitement of the bunch finish, but chapeau to Tarozzi, Tonelli and Sevilla for their efforts today. They were only caught with about 500m to go, despite having seemed doomed long before then.
Silva will have at least one more day in pink having defended the jersey today.
Thanks for joining us today on what was another print victory for young Paul Magnier - this time, against a full field of sprinters without a crash to disrupt things. It’s a result that confirms the Frenchman has made it into the elite category of world sprinters.
Farewell to Bulgaria, where great crowds flocked to the roadside each day to cheer on the novelty of the Giro. No, following a rest day tomorrow, the Giro returns home to Italy, where the race will recommence on Tuesday. We’ll be back then for continued live coverage, so be sure to re-join us once more!
