Cycling: Belgian Merlier wins third stage of Giro

Cycling Belgian Merlier wins third stage of Giro

The riders during the third stage of the Giro d’Italia. photo

© Fabio Ferrari/LaPresse via ZUMA Press/dpa

The German professional cyclist Bauhaus still has to wait for his first daily victory in a Grand Tour. The Belgian Merlier wins the exciting mass sprint on Giro day three.

The German professional cyclist Phil Bauhaus still has to wait for his first daily victory in a Grand Tour race. The Bocholt sprinter was unable to take advantage of the first chance for the fast men at the 107th Giro d’Italia.

The Belgian Tim Merlier won the mass sprint after 166 kilometers from Novara to Fossano, narrowly ahead of the Italian Jonathan Milan and Biniam Girmay from Eritrea on the mostly flat third stage. The 29-year-old Bauhaus, who did not finish in the top ten, narrowly missed out on a stage win in the Tour de France last year several times.

After his victory the day before, Giro debutant Tadej Pogacar wore the overall leader’s pink jersey for the first time in a stage on the three-week Tour of Italy. As expected, the favorite from Slovenia remains at the top of the overall standings. The top driver slightly increased his comfortable lead of 45 seconds the day before over the Brit Geraint Thomas through bonuses. At the end of the stage, Pogacar even tried to outwit the sprinters by attempting a breakaway.

On Tuesday, the 190 kilometers between Acqui Terme and Andora first involve the climb to Colle del Melogno at an altitude of 1,032 meters. However, moving up to the third category is quite feasible. After that it’s almost all downhill and flat towards the finish line. A final part corresponds to a passage from the classic Milan-Sanremo.

dpa

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