FOSSANO – Tim Merlier won the first sprint of the Giro, but the cover is once again for Tadej Pogacar. The pink jersey also wanted to have fun in one of the easiest stages of the entire three weeks, the Novara-Fossano, without any real mountain grand prix. A very small climb, 4 km from the finish, and an attack from Honoré were enough for him to test himself even in the role of finisseur. The two, joined by Thomas, began to fight hard while the group broke up behind them. And the trio, later reduced to just one man, Pogacar of course, reached up to 200 metres. Only then, when the sprinters launched the sprint, Pogi raised the white flag: three days and three different types of attack. A show. The Belgian Merlier (Soudal Quick Step) then beat the Friulian Jonathan Milan and the Eritrean Biniam Girmay in a very close sprint. “I followed Honoré’s wheel” said Pogacar at the end, “we collaborated, but I don’t want to win all the stages. Less stressful tour of the Tour, we’ll see how it goes in the next few days.” Meanwhile he also gained a small second bonus in a flying finish and seems in absolute, total control.
The news
A flying finish won by Milan halfway through the stage created the conditions for a mega-breakaway of sprinters: a large group of almost 25 riders from many different teams escapes from the pink jersey group, gains up to a minute and a half and leads the way. Milan wins a second flying finish, demonstrating a stratospheric leg. Bahrain reacts behind for Bauhaus, then it’s Movistar’s turn with Milesi to push hard in the wind of the plain between Asti and Alba. The first consequence of the action is the splitting of the main group: above all, the white jersey Uijtdebroeks remains behind. Pogacar, with gauze on his right knee after the fall in the Oropa stage, is vigilant with his teammates. The action of the men in the lead ends at -44: the group is back together. They all get up, but the storm explodes again right at the end, on the small climb that leads to Fossano. In the end it was a sprint, very sweaty for the sprinters, and Merlier won by a narrow margin over Milan. New test for the sprinters in the Acqui Terme-Andora in the fourth stage, on the roads of Milan-Sanremo.
