Second reduced bunch sprint in three days at the Corsa Rosa.
The last leg of the Albanian Grande Partenza was a pretty quiet one, despite the roads around Vlorë comprising two hard climbs that on paper opened the door to attacks. After a fast and intense start to the stage, five men booked a place in what became the day’s breakaway, one that managed to build a maximum gap of around three minutes.
The peloton did their homework and easily reeled in the quintet, while at the same time dispatching all the sprinters on the steep gradients of the Qafa e Llogarase climb. No real moves came there, which means the bunch continued together on the descent taking to the finish, where Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek) prevailed from a reduced sprint, moving back into the pink jersey.
Gianmarco Garofoli, who is racing the Giro d’Italia for the first time in his career, came really close to a top ten, finishing the third stage in 11th position, three places ahead of Soudal Quick-Step teammate Mattia Cattaneo, who remained our team’s highest-ranked rider in the general classification.
Photo credit: ©Tim De Waele / Getty Images
