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As it happened: Giro d'Italia stage 3 - Matthews finishes off for Jayco-Alula

Team Jayco AlUlas Australian rider Michael Matthews L rides next to Trek Segafredos Danish rider Mads Pedersen R to cross the finish line and win the third stage of the Giro dItalia 2023 cycling race 216 km between Vasto and Melfi on May 8 2023 Photo by Luca Bettini AFP Photo by LUCA BETTINIAFP via Getty Images

Michael Matthews won in Melfi (Image credit: Getty Images)

As it happened: Giro d'Italia stage 2 saw late crash and victory for Jonathan Milan

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Buongiorno and welcome along to our live coverage of stage 3 of the Giro d'Italia.

As we fire up our live coverage, the riders are gathering in Vasto for the 213km third stage. 

The crowds are out at the start in Vasto but the skies are cloudy, with the weather expected to worsen in southern Italy in the next few days.

Remco Evenepoel and his Soudal-QuickStep teammates are the last to sign on. 

This is the map of stage 3, highlighting the long ride south. 

To catch-up on what happened on stage 2, click below to read our full stage report. 

To look back over every moment, every attack and all the post-race reaction, study our full live coverage. 

The riders have rolled out of the start village in central Vasto and face a 9.5km neutralised section before the racing starts. 

The race leaders line-up in Vasto

The race leaders line-up in Vasto  (Image credit: Getty Images)

Mark Cavendish and Joe Dombrowski wait for the start in Vasto

Mark Cavendish and Joe Dombrowski wait for the start in Vasto  (Image credit: Getty Images)

Race leader Remco Evenepoel rolls out of Vasto

Race leader Remco Evenepoel rolls out of Vasto  (Image credit: Getty Images)

The riders are still tucked up close behind the race directors car.

Technical race director Stefano Allocchio blows his whistle, waves his flag and so stage 3 is underway. 

We immediately have an attack but the peloton is not chasing.

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The two riders on the attack are Veljko Stojnić (Corratec - Selle Italia) and Alexander Konychev (Corratec - Selle Italia). 

Veljko Stojnić (Corratec - Selle Italia) and Alexander Konychev (Corratec - Selle Italia) lead the peloton by 3:30. 

199km to go

Is this surge the start of a chase? No. it's just some riders accelerating briefly to make a toilet stop.

The breakaway and the lack of  chase in the peloton plays in Remco Evenepoel's hands. 

Alexander Konychev (Corratec - Selle Italia) is now the virtual race leader. He started the stage at 4:02 but leads the peloton by 6:50.

180km to go

171km to go

Veljko Stojnić and Alexander Konychev (Corratec - Selle Italia) are taking turns on the front to stay out front.

Alpecin-Deceuninck sprinter Kaden Groves has suggested that his defensive elbow that sparked the high-speed crash late on stage 2 of the Giro d'Italia "happens 100 times" in sprint stage run-ins.

We can see Alpecin-Deceuninck, Jayco-AlUla, Eolo-Kometa and Trek-Segafredo riding on the front of the peloton, as they peg the attackers to a gap of 3:30.  

Behind the domestiques leading the chase, the teams are lined-out but together, protecting each other. 

Thumbs up from the peloton as they take it steady

(Image credit: Getty Images)

150km to go

Fabiana Luperini is in the Corratec team car and is speaking to her riders.  

Luperini is one of a handful of women who have earned leadership roles on high-level men's cycling teams. She is the first woman to direct a men's pro cycling team in her nation and says she's proud and enthusiastic to be a part of progress in the sport.

140km to go

Cyclingnews have journalists at most races on the WorldTour calendar and Barry Ryan and Alasdair are at the Giro d'Italia.

135km to go

Brandon McNulty wears the best young rider's white jersey at the Giro d'italia because Remco Evenepoel wears the pink jersey.

Mark Cavendish was caught-up in the stage 2 crash but was happy to be in the peloton today.

Remco Evenepoel drops back to his team car for a tactical chat with his DS Davide Bramati.

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Former pro Giovanni Visconti previews each stage for Italian television and has warned that today's stage is for specialists, who can survive the climbs and then sprint well. 

120km to go

The Giro d'Italia always recalls the history of Italy and today tells the story of the Adriatic coast and then the rich history of Foggia and Melfi.  

115km to go

The Giro d'Italia peloton is lined out.

It's Monday and a flat stage but everything stops in Italy when the Giro goes past.

Even the school children get a day off. 

106km to go

No sprint among the Corratec duo.

Konyshev takes it ahead of Stojnic to take the full points for the points and intermediate sprint competitions.

Find out about those competitions and all the jerseys and rules of the Giro d'Italia with our comprehensive guide.

Jayco-AlUla lead the peloton on the road to the sprint.

Mads Pedersen hits the front in the search for points.

It looked like Pedersen took the points ahead of Arne Marit.

Pedersen takes third. Marit was next, and then Matthews and Milan were close for fifth.

Only 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 points available in the peloton there, so not a result that will move the needle in the battle for the maglia ciclamino.

101km to go

Into the final 100km now and the TV helicopter focusses on Foggia's football stadium, the Pino Zaccheria. Not a whole lot going in the race at the moment, obviously.

The peloton has let the gap to the break go back up over two minutes.

Alpecin, Trek, Jayco leading the way in the peloton.

A look back at the intermediate sprint...

The rain jackets are out in the peloton on the highway out of Foggia.

And now time for food and drink as the riders pass through the feed zone.

83km to go

The peloton riders have put on capes, Gillet and other clothes to keep off the rain.  

70km to go

The climbs start in 30km and so the peloton wants to have total control of the racing.

Stage 3 is divided into two distinct parts. 

These are the two climbs of the stage. Watch for surges and attacks from several teams here. 

This is the climb up to the finish in Melfi. It's complex and twists too. 

The final 350 metres kick-up to the line. 

This is the official race book description of the finish: 

60km to go

Ineos Grenadiers ride together as a unit. 

This is one of the longest and flattest stages of the 2023 Giro d'Italia. It's been a slow ride south so far but will surely soon explode very soon. 

Jay Vine has stopped for a bike change. He has to chase back but is in the team cars and will soon try to get back up front. 

40km to go

The 40km sign indicates the start of the finale. 

The climb of Valico dei Laghi di Monticchio is almost 7km long and so will hurt lots of the sprinters.

Fortunately the rain has eased but the road surface is still wet. 

Up front, Veljko Stojnić has pushed on alone but the peloton is closing the gap fast. 

Jake Stewart needs a bike change due to a puncture. He could have been a contender today but he faces an extra effort to get back on.

Mark Cavendish is one of the pure sprinters to be distanced.

36km to go

Behind stage 2 winner Jonathan Milan has also been distanced. 

Gaviria and Dekker are also distanced.

Filippo Ganna is also distanced. 

There is still 2km to climb, a flat section and then another climb. 

Magnus Cort of EF is struggling. 

33km to go

Allez Tibo! 

Santiago Buitrago (Bahrain Victorious) followed Pinot and pushed on but they will be caught.

Sepp Kuss has a bike problem. 

The American Jumbo-Visma rider has a rear gear problem. 

He gets a new bike and is away. 

29km to go

There are 60 or so riders in the front group. We can see Matthews and Mads Pedersen. 

The Magnus Cort chase group is at 45 seconds.

The road is very wet on the climb and so we expect it to be wet on the descent too.

Ineos mass on the front. They perhaps want to lead on the descent.

Mads Pedersen is fighting to stay on as Ineos up the pace even more. 

Pinot leads over the line to take more KOM points. 

There are only 40 or so riders in the front group. 

The riders face 15km of fast descent through the trees and then the road is flat to Melfi. 

Kuss is still trying to get back on. He's making a huge effort in case Roglic needs him in the final kilometres. 

Crash. Several riders go down, including Serry and Dombrowski. 

20km to go

Jayco continue to lead the front group. 

This is the finish. Watch out for the late corner at 400 metres to go.  

The road kicks-up from 350 metres to go.

Fortunately the roads are now dry. 

Almeida has lost contact after a crash on the descent. 

Almeida was slowed by another rider crashing. 

It seems Sepp Kuss also crashed on the descent as he chased at speed.

12km to go

Almeida is about to get back on after a hectic chase. However his bike is not working perfectly. 

10km to go

Now it's time for the stage finish. 

McNulty is distanced after his work for Almeida. 

Jayco are riding for Matthews and he is sat on Pedersen's wheel.

Zana is giving his all for Jayco and Matthews. 

2.5km to go

Riders are trying to move up on both sides of the road as Jayco still lead.

1.5km to go

Trek lead it out! 

Watch out or the late corner.

Sprint!

Matthews!

Matthews hit out early after the sweeping curve. Pedersen was equal to him and came up alongside but the Australian hung on to win it.  

Matthews is overjoyed and hugs his teammates and team staff.

Matthews gives Zana a big hug to thank him for all the work the Italian did.

Matthews jumped before Pedersen and stole a march on his rival. Pedersen came up but Matthews did not fade and nobody could get past him. 

This shot shows Matthews centre and out front.

It was Matthews third stage win at the Giro buyt his first since 2016.

Matthews also win back in 2014. 

Matthews beat Pedersen, Kaden Groves and Vincenzo Albanese of Eolo. 

Matthews was overjoyed to win. 

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Alpecin-Deceuninck had the the duo of Stefano Oldani and Kaden Grove in the sprint but they seemed to sprint shoulder to shoulder.

Remco Evenepoel finished safely in the front  group and so kept the maglia rosa.

Evenepoel took three bonus seconds in the late intermediate sprint. Roglic was with him and also scored two seconds and so Evenepoel extended his lead on his biggest rival by a second. 

Matthews was overjoyed to win the stage. 

Matthews also spoke about the final kilometres and the sprint.

Remco Evenepoel played down the importance of taking a second on Roglic and three seconds on his rivals but went for them.  

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To read our full stage report, see the full stage results and our growing photo gallery, click below. 

It was a long but good day in pink for Remco Evenepoel. His Soudal team did not have to work on the front, he gained three seconds on all his GC rivals and one seconds on Roglic.

Evenepoel leads João Almeida by 32 seconds, with Primož Roglič third at 44 seconds.

Stage 4 to Lago Laceno includes 3500m of climbing and the last climb 9.6km.

Thanks for joining us for full live coverage of stage 3 to Melfi. 

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