CYCLING The third stage of the Giro d’Italia (Novara-Fossano, 166 kilometres) saw the Belgian Tim Merlier win in the sprint, a rider who is quite familiar with the Piedmontese sections of the pink race involving Novara, the city where he won in 2021. At the finish line in Corso Regina Elena the Belgian preceded Jonathan Milan and the Eritrean Biniam Girmay. The stage did not offer great emotions, except at the end, when, on the ramp leading into the center of Fossano, there was an unscheduled surge by the pink jersey Tadej Pogaçar, followed by the Welshman Thomas. The first two in the general classification fought shoulder to shoulder until a few hundred meters from the finish, when they were reabsorbed by the group. The general classification remained unchanged, with the Slovenian Pogaçar in the pink jersey followed by the Welshman Thomas at 46 seconds and the Colombian Martinez at 47.
The race crossed the Asti area and the Albese area, passing through Montegrosso, Isola, Canove, Baraccone, Vaccheria, Mussotto, Cinzano, Pollenzo and Cherasco and, as always, attracted many enthusiasts along the roads. Tomorrow, the Giro will leave Piedmont, with the start of the fourth stage (190 kilometres, the longest so far) from Acqui Terme, which will take the riders to Andora. Departure from the spa town is scheduled for 12.30pm, in Piazza Italia.
Corrado Olocco
