Giro d’Italia: Michael Matthews beats Mads Pedersen to stage three win

Michael Matthews celebrates winning the third stage of the 2023 Giro d'Italia

Australian Michael Matthews beat Denmark’s Mads Pedersen to win stage three of the Giro d’Italia.

Matthews made a sprint for the line after the final corner and held on to take the 216km stage, which ran from Vasto to Melfi, in five hours one minute 41 seconds.

Pedersen finished second, with Kadem Groves, of Australia, in third.

“They [Team Jayco Alula] rode all day today and fully committed for me to win the stage,” said Matthews.

“It’s been such a rollercoaster this year, so already on stage three to have a stage win is more than I could dream of.

“I heard Pedersen had been dropped on the climb so I hoped he would be a little bit pinned for the sprint.

“I knew I needed to go early and get the jump on them and it worked out.”

Belgium’s Remco Evenepoel, who won stage one’s individual time trial, is top of the general classification standings by 32 seconds from Portugal’s Joao Almeida and 44 seconds in front of Slovenia’s Primoz Roglic.

Britain’s Geraint Thomas is fifth, 58 seconds adrift, while compatriot Tao Geoghegan Hart is seventh and one minute two seconds behind Evenepoel.

The fourth stage is a 175km ride from Venosa to Lago Laceno.