As it happened: It's as you were as the sprinters take a tense finish at stage 3 of the Giro d'Italia Women
A step up in difficulty as the peloton race along a 156km route from Bibione to Buja in Friuli
Good afternoon and welcome back to the Cyclingnews live coverage of the Giro d'Italia Women.
It was an emotional day for Elisa Balsamo yesterday, winning in Italy wearing the maglia rosa.
Sunday's boiling stage came down to another battle of the sprinters.
Elisa Balsamo sped to victory wearing the maglia rosa.
For today's stage we've moved further east for, another 156km starting on the coast at Bibione and heading north to Buja for a lumpy finish. We roll out at 13:30CET.
It's been a tough week for SD Worx-Protime after losing sprinter, Lorena Wiebes on stage one.
Barbara Guarischi stepped into her place, but said, "This role doesn't belong to me any more."
With just a few minutes until the neutralised start, sign on is well under way. Today could be a good one for World Champion, Magdeleine Vallieres (EF Education-Oatly).
We're off and rolling, this time for almost 9km of neutral before we get going. It's relatively cool at the start, around 24º and it's cooler at the finish with a 30% chance of rain later, though the wind is nothing to speak of.
The start is on the coast again before we head north, as we did yesterday, this time to the edge of the Julian Prealps. We've got a 4th category climb before we pass through the finish with 43km in Buja, but the main climb of the day, Montenars, tops out with 21.3km to go, after which it's downhill much of the way to the line.
Plenty of people came out to the start in Bibione today to see the race leader, Elisa Balsamo and her Lidl-Trek team mates.
It's a busy start with plenty of attacks springing off the front.
Five riders have managed to claw their way clear, but their lead is negligible at the moment.
Still no news on the escapees.
Cristina Tonetti (Laboral Kutxa-Fundación Euskadi), Alison Jackson (St Michel-Preference Home-Auber93), Eleonora Deotto (Mendelspeck E-Work), Nienke Veenhoven (Visma-Lease a Bike), and Marta Pavesi (Top Girls Fassa Bortolo) are up the road with a lead of 25 seconds.
140km to go
And those five have been joined by Barbara Guarischi (SD Worx-Protime), so a group of 6 are away.
Other teams may not like the fact Guarischi is in there, the presence of someone from a team with a GC contender might not be a good thing for them.
Tonetti, Jackson, Deotto, Veenhoven, Pavesi and Guarischi now lead by one minute, though there are two more riders chasing.
Fariba Hashimi (Vini Fantini-BePink) and Petra Zsankó (Aromitalia Vaiano) are in pursuit.
Tonetti, Jackson, Deotto, Veenhoven, Pavesi and Guarischi now have 2.40 on the peloton, while Hashimi has dropped Zsankó.
130km to go
Tonetti, Jackson, Deotto, Veenhoven, Pavesi and Guarischi lead the peloton by 2.40, while Hashimi and Zsankó are back together but 55 seconds behind the leaders.
The weather is looking less than appealing as the riders head north.
120km to go
The race has settled a little, with Tonetti, Jackson, Deotto, Veenhoven, Pavesi and Guarischi leading the peloton by 2.45.
In the gap Hashimi and Zsankó are stuck in no-wo,en's land, one minute down.
Behind, the Lidl-Trek team of overall leader Elisa Balsamo lead the peloton.
We're approaching the day's intermediate sprint, at Villa Manin di Passariano, with 105.2km to go. There are 12, 8, 6, 3, 1 points available there, as well as 6, 4 and 2 bonus seconds.
110km to go
There's not much change now the race is established.
Tonetti, Jackson, Deotto, Veenhoven, Pavesi and Guarischi have a lead of one minute over Hashimi and Zsankó, whle the peloton are 3.05 behind the leaders.
After allowing the breakaway a lead of more than six minutes during yesterday's stage, it's unlikely they'll let them have so much today. Not only are there more riders up the road, two of them represent WorldTour teams, so possess more horsepower.
Tonetti takes maximum points and bonus seconds at the intermediate sprint.
Meanwhile, behind the six rider breakaway, Hashimi and Zsankó sat up and have been caught by the peloton, who remain 3.05 behind the leaders.
Elena Cecchini is one of the strongest and smartest riders in the peloton, and not only is the SD Worx-Protime rider is retiring at the end of the season, today's stage goes through her home roads.
100km to go
So far today's stage has been pan flat, but now the riders are on a false flat, dragging gently towards the mountains beyond the finish.
The breakawy's lead remains static around the 3.05 mark.
90km to go
After the Ca' dell Poggio yesterday, today's first climb is the Moruzzo, the race's second 4th category climb. It comes in 30km, the average gradient is 6.4%, but it's only one kilometre long.
The breakaway's lead is steady at 3.10.
We've had some rain out there, but nothing currently too torrential.
Lidl-Trek are still leading the peloton
80km to go
The route is still dragging on the false flat, but it's becoming slightly more challenging as they head towards the climb now.
Tonetti, Jackson, Deotto, Veenhoven, Pavesi and Guarischi continue to lead by 3.05.
Today is the kind of stage where anything can happen. Despite the climb we could get a bunch sprint, the breakaway could survive or even a solo winner. Most likely is a reduced bunch sprint.
Overall leader Elisa Balsamo is one of the world's best sprinters, but she can get over hills, don't be surprised if she takes another win today.
With the climbs coming the leaders' advantage is beginning to shrink. The peloton are only 2.25 behind Tonetti, Jackson, Deotto, Veenhoven, Pavesi and Guarischi.
70km to go
It's still Lidl-Trek doing the work and they're letting the gap back out again, it's almost three minutes again. With so far to go, it's probably not time to bring the break back just yet.
It's certainly more relaxed in the bunch than previous days. Stage one the prize of the maglia rosa was so huge all the teams were there, and it was similar on Sunday, Balsamo having only inherited the race lead.
Today the hierarchy of the peloton is established and other teams can sit back and leave it all up to Lidl-Trek.
The breakaway is approaching a short, introductory climb now, it has some gradients of 10%.
With the bunch on the flat and the break going uphill, the gap is dropping like a stone, it's down to only 1.50.
Canyon-Sram take over at the front of the race.
Over that little climb and now they're onto the Moruzzo climb.
There's been a crash in the peloton, but everyone is up and riding.
The steepest slopes are at the bottom, but it's a pretty constant climb, 1km average gradient of 6.4%.
60km to go
At the top Alison Jackson takes the maximum points, so is now joint leader of the mountains classification.
She probably won't get a chance on the next climb as the peloton are now only 25 seconds behind.
The pace on the climb and, of course the earlier crash, has caused splits in the peloton.
Cristina Tonetti (Laboral Kutxa-Fundación Euskadi), Alison Jackson (St Michel-Preference Home-Auber93) and Marta Pavesi (Top Girls Fassa Bortolo) have chipped off the front of the breakaway just as the peloton ease up.
Tonetti, Jackson and Pavesi lead the peloton by 45 seconds, while Deotto, Veenhoven and Guarischi are in the gap.
Deotto, Veenhoven and Guarischi are caught while the remaining three breakaway riders remain up the road, leading by one minute.
50km to go
We enter the final loop with 44km to go, crossing the line 600m later, but for now Tonetti, Jackson and Pavesi lead by 50 seconds.
We're in Italy's far north east now, the finish is not too far from both the Austrian and Slovenian borders. We'll ass through Gemona where the queen stage of the 2019 race started.
It finished on the brutal Malga Montasio climb after a ding-dong battle between two of the race's legends, Annemiek van Vleuten and Anna van der Breggen (SD Worx-Protime).
We're into the finish town of Buja now and about the join a loop of 44km. The riders will shortly have the chance to see the finish line.
Meanwhile Tonetti, Jackson and Pavesi lead the peloton by 55 seconds.
The climb comes at the firsts point of the loop, but it's not straightforward or even flat anywhere, and there'll be some narrow roads too, where positioning is vital.
The three leaders are now on the circuit. Their lead keeps fluctuating between 45 seconds and one minute.
Tonetti, Jackson and Pavesi cross the final line with the bunch little more than 30 seconds down.
Those narrow roads will be forefront in their minds.
This is a real cross-culture area, with the architecture showing the Austrian and Slovenian influence. Sometimes round here your mobile phone will switch from one country's provider to another's.
40km to go
Onto the narrower roads and uphill, Cristina Tonetti (Laboral Kutxa-Fundación Euskadi), Alison Jackson (St Michel-Preference Home-Auber93) Marta Pavesi (Top Girls Fassa Bortolo) only have 15 seconds at the front, but now they're settling on the narrow, uphill lanes.
Though the roads are winding uphill and through the forests, the peloton keep getting glimpses of the leaders just ahead.
Tonetti, Jackson and Pavesi are still working very hard to stay away, despite their lead being only 12 seconds.
The road winds a little through this section, but there's litttle in way of hills or descents, maybe the bunch will cut the break a little slack.
And once again the race eases, Tonetti, Jackson and Pavesi begin to build their lead back up and they ride across open fields.
In the town of Tarcento, the route goes back on itself, before a slight descent towards the bottom of the Montenars climb.
The breakaway are rebuilding their advantage again, it's out to 40 seconds as they ride into the Tarcento.
30km to go
In the peloton lead outs are beginning to form. The tight turn in town will be one reason, but the climb will be forefront in their minds, whether that be the sprinters looking for sliding room, or the GC riders looking to attack or defend.
Montenars is the first 3rd category climb of this Giro and it's a brute, with an average gradient of 7.1%, the last 1500m of the 2.5km climb are over 10% with ramps up to 20%.
It tops out 21.3km from the line.
Can the sprinters hold on?
The pressure to be in the right place in the peloton has upped the pace and they're breathing down the necks of the breakaway. They were never going to make it.
A problem for Antonia Niedermaier, how is off the back as the climb looms. She has two of her Canyon-Sram team mates to help her get back on, they'll have the vehicles to help, but they'll be behind the very stretched peloton.
Demi Vollering's FDJ United-SUEZ hit the front, Célia Gery upping the pace and creating a tiny group at the front of the race. Niedermaier is in the peloton but a long way from the front.
Only eight or nine riders are at the front now, they include many of the main favourites for the GC. But remember, the top is over 21km from the finish line, plenty of time to get back on.
Anna van der Breggen takes over at the front, last year the SD Worx-Protime rider did this as a defensive tactic, it might not be that now.
Volllering attacks now, we're very close to the top though. Elisa Longo Borghini (UAE Team ADQ) Marlen Reusser (Movistar) and Van der Breggen go with her.
Van der Breggen leads over the top. It's tight and technnical, with hairpin bends and two tunnels as we descend into Gemona. It's tight and technical through the town too, with some cobbles and a small climb.
20km to go
The sprinters are well distanced, including Balsamo, it's likely we'll have a new maglia rosa at the end of the day.
The leading group is swelling now, though Van der Breggen's team mate has crashed on the descent. We'll wait to se how she is.
Seven riders lead the race now, Femke de Vries (Visma-Lease a Bike) and the Lidl-Trek pair of Niamh Fisher-Black and Isabella Holmgren joining the original group.
The moment we say that more riders get back on, the group up to about 15 women now.
Into Gemona del Friuli now and Vollering ives it a go on one of the small climbs. The penultimate stage of the men's race started here last week.
And now we have more than a small group, it's now a peloton at the front of the race. Niedermaier seems to be one of them.
15km to go
Balsamo is one of those back in the leading peloton, maybe she can win again, it certainly looks good for her keeping the maglia rosa.
And rest!
FDJ United-SUEZ hit the front and the pace eases slightly as even more riders get back on.
Pfeiffer Georgi (Picnic-PostNL) attacks hard, her British compatriot, Lauren Dickson (FDJ) leads the chase. But it's Silvia Persico (UAE Team ADQ) who brings the Brit back.
Something is brewing, Movistar putting in a very short-lived dig.
One of the Aromitalia Vaiano riders has a go, and she's caught too.
10km to go
The final 10km is pretty straightforward now, flat or downhill, there's a train crossing with 7.5km to go and four roundabouts.
Persico goes again, is caught by Nina Buijsman (Human Powered Health) and once again we ease off.
The leading group comprises about 35-40 riders and the pace eases, before Movistar attack. Building for a move form their GC leader Reusser?
Aude Biannic is the Movistar rider with a small gap. No one can make their mind who is going to chase. It's the smallest of gaps, but...
And she's caught, UNO-X Mobility take to the front. This is brilliantly chaotic.
Hey up, now it's Rosita Reinhour of Visma-Lease a Bike trying her luck, though to no avail.
Sigrid Ytterhus Haugset (UNO-X Mobility) is away no one could catch her and she has aa lead of a handful of seconds.
FDJ United-SUEZ lead the chase, but Haugset is in a great position and looking great.
Liv-Alula Jayco are helping on the front too, but Haugset leads by 10 seconds as she flies under the 3km to go marker.
2km to go
Haugset still leads, the Norwegian rider with 8km seconds, but Lidl-Trek are now chasing too, defending Balsamo's maglia rosa.
Haugset is putting everything into this she's got 5 seconds.
Lily Williams (Human Powered Health) goes very long, but an imperious Balsamo catches her and takes the win. The Lidl-Trek rider extends her GC lead with a brilliant, brutal uphill sprint.
Lily Williams hung on for second place, while Femke Geeritse (SD Worx-Protime) took third place.
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It was another consummate sprint from Balsamo, and off the back of excellent team work. It was as if the dam has burst after months of near misses and frustration.
Last season Balsamo won five races, this week alone she has three to her name, the first of her season. The same can be said of the team, which had only Felicity Wilson-Haffenden's Australian TT title and Clara Copponi's Ronde de Mouscron victory.
And while some might argue the Sunday's stage one success came on the back of Lorena Wiebes's misfortune, Balsamo and Lidl-Trek have clearly gained enromous confidence.
"Today was such a hard day in the final I still need to recover," Balsamo said. "Once again my team did an amazing job, they were pulling all day to close on the breakaway and in the final also Niamh and Bella [Isabella Holmgren], our GC leaders they were helping me, it was amazing.
"I knew this sprint because I did the recon, so I was ready, but I'm also a bit surprised and I'm super happy.
"My big goal of today was trying to keep the pink jersey and so I was fighting," she explained when asked about being dropped on the climb. "I gave it all, but yes this climb was so hard for me but then I still knew that it was a long way to the end, so I really tried to stay with a small group and then we came back and then every thing went perfect."
For Balsamo, Tuesday's mountain time trial is highly likely to see her cede the jersey.
The 12.7km test comes in two halves. the opening 5km averages only 1.5% gradient, but the remaining 7.4km is horrendous, with an average gradient of 8%, there are early ramps of 12% before the slope eases off to something more manageable.
It all starts at 13:20CET, so we'll see you then. Thanks for joining us and we'll see you tomorrow for the first GC test of the week.
