BIELLA, Italy — Belgian sprinter Tim Merlier sprinted to victory in the third stage of the Giro d’Italia, after race leader Tadej Pogacar had threatened to steal a march on the sprinters with a late burst.
The mostly flat 166km ride from Novara to Fossano was expected to culminate in a sprint finish, but Pogacar had other plans.
The man in the pink jersey broke clear with Mikkel Honore and title rival Geraint Thomas in the closing stages, but all three were caught by the pack before the line.
Merlier’s victory was the second Giro stage win of his career, having won stage two in 2021. “It was a really hard finale,” the 31-year-old Merlier said according to Reuters.
