Michael Matthews (Team Jayco AlUla) has won Stage 3 of the 2023 Giro d’Italia, the 213km long Vasto-Melfi. Mads Pedersen (Trek – Segafredo) and Kaden Groves (Alpecin-Deceuninck) finished second and third respectively.
The win marks a spectacular return to the Italian Grand Tour for the Australian, with today’s result taking his tally to three stage wins at La Corsa Rosa and marks the 19th triumph for GreenEDGE Cycling at the Giro.
The Jayco AlUla squad made their intentions clear from the start as they moved to the head of the peloton to keep the gap to a two-rider breakaway in check. Debutant Campbell Stewart and the experienced Michael Hepburn did a mountain of work on the flat, before Italian duo Alessandro De Marchi and Filippo Zana took over on the first climb of the day.
Italian champion Zana set a fierce tempo on the cat.3 ascent, shredding the peloton to pieces and distancing a host of Matthews’ fast finishing rivals. Callum Scotson then took over on the final climb, piling on more pressure while Matthews sat comfortably in the wheels.
After guiding him into the finale, it was then over to Matthews to finish things off in style as the 32-year-old used all his experience and race craft to launch his sprint early, catching his competitors by surprise as he raced away to take his first Giro d’Italia victory since 2015.
Speaking seconds after the stage finish, the stage winner Matthews said: “Honestly, I’m just speechless, what I’ve been through these last two months, to come back with a victory for the team, it’s amazing.
We rode all day today and my teammates were fully committed for me to win the stage. I mean, I don’t have words at the moment, it’s been such a rollercoaster this year and to be already on stage three with a stage win it is all I can ever dream of.
I heard that Pedersen was dropped on the climb so I was hoping that he would be a little bit pinned for the sprint. I knew I just needed to go a little bit early and get the jump on them and yeah, it worked out.
It’s been a rollercoaster for me, so I just came here to this Giro to have fun, enjoy riding my bike and enjoy being with my teammates and today it was such a team effort that win. That was for the boys.”
Remco Evenepoel (Soudal Quick-Step) retains the Maglia Rosa.
“We knew with bonifications so close to the finish, it was obvious that the bunch would go for it. I was told in the radio that Primoz [Roglic] was sitting behind us, so I was ready to react,” said Evenpoel after the stage. “In the end I won but it was not the hardest sprint in my life, it was better to take time than lose time. It was not in my head to play that mind game but if other went for it, I wasn’t going to let three seconds go away for free. It would have been stupid not to contest that sprint. I knew this stage. I knew there were two hard climbs. The small number of riders in the main bunch confirm that it was a hard course. Tomorrow, everything will depend on the race situation. It’s 50-50 for me to still be in the Maglia Rosa at the end of stage 4.”
Stage 3 Brief Results:
- Michael Matthews (Team Jayco AlUla) – 213 km in 5h’01’41″, average speed 42.362 km/h
- Mads Pedersen (Trek – Segafredo) s.t.
- Kaden Groves (Alpecin-Deceuninck) s.t.
General Classification After Stage 3:
- Remco Evenepoel (Soudal Quick-Step)
- João Pedro Gonçalves Almeida (UAE Team Emirates) at 32″
- Primož Roglič (Jumbo-Visma) at 44″
Jerseys:
- Maglia Rosa, leader of the General Classification, sponsored by Enel – Remco Evenepoel (Soudal Quick-Step)
- Maglia Ciclamino (Cyclamen), leader of the Points Classification, sponsored by Agenzia ICE with the brand Madeinitaly.gov.it – Jonathan Milan (Bahrain – Victorious)
- Maglia Azzurra, leader of the Gran Premio della Montagna (KOM), sponsored by Banca Mediolanum – Thibaut Pinot (Groupama – FDJ)
- Maglia Bianca, Best Young Rider, sponsored by Intimissimi Uomo – Remco Evenepoel (Soudal Quick-Step)
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