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Merlier wins Giro d’Italia stage three as Pogacar and Thomas surge falls short

06-May-2024 16:30:30 | The Guardian

• Belgian sprinter wins after GC contenders’ late break is caught
• Pogacar stays in pink jersey, 46 seconds ahead of Thomas

Belgian sprinter Tim Merlier sprinted to victory in the third stage of the Giro d’Italia on Monday, 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 (UAE-Team Emirates) had other plans. The man in the pink jersey broke clear with Mikkel Honoré (EF Education-EasyPost) and title rival Geraint Thomas (Ineos Grenadiers) in the closing stages, but all three were caught by the pack before the line.