Tim Merlier sprints to Giro stage three win, Pogacar still in pink

Belgian rider Tim Merlier sprinted to victory in the third stage of the Giro d'Italia on Monday, after race leader Tadej Pogacar threatened to steal a march on the sprinters.

Slovenian Merlier did, however, safely retain the leader's maglia rosa.

The mostly flat 166km ride from Novara to Fossano was expected to culminate in a sprint finish, but Pogacar seemingly had other plans as he powered away with 2km left to ride, followed by Geraint Thomas.

They were caught before the line as Soudal Quick-Step's Merlier took the stage, his second Giro win after victory in 2021, just ahead of Jonathan Milan of Lidl-Trek with Eritrea's Biniam Girmay in third for Intermarche-Wanty.

Pogacar's move took everyone by surprise as he went after Mikkel Frolich Honore, but the chasers had just enough time to reel in the UAE Team Emirates rider and Thomas, giving Merlier his eighth win of 2024.

"It was the hardest victory so far, it was a really hard final," Merlier said.

"We caught them back but in the last kilometre, I never found the slipstream anymore so I was always in the wind and I saw 300 metres and was like 'you need to go'."

Afterwards, Pogacar said that it hadn't been his intention to make a break.

"I did not attack, I followed the wheel," Pogacar said.

"It was a good situation, me Mikkel Honore and Thomas. We tried to keep on going but I never believed we could make it to the finish."

Welsh rider Thomas, second overall, had already lost one second to Pogacar in an intermediate sprint, and when the leader joined Honore's break, Thomas was forced to follow suit, and the top two almost made it to the line.

"It wasn't the plan, we just wanted to stay well out of trouble," Thomas said.

"Then I saw Honore and Pog go and then I was like 'might as