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Australian rider Michael Matthews has received the third stage of the Giro d’Italia, his first stage win on the race in eight years.
Matthews received an uphill dash amongst a choose group of riders after a punishing 213-kilometre slog via the rain from Vasto to Melfi in Italy’s south.
The 32-year-old Group Jayco-AlUla rider opened up his dash early to outpace former world champion Mads Pedersen (Trek-Segafredo).
Australian sprinter Kaden Groves (Alpecin-Deceuninck), who was accused of inflicting a dramatic pile-up on stage 2, picked up consecutive third-place finishes.
It was Matthews’s first stage win on the Giro d’Italia since 2015 and first win of any form since he received stage 14 of final yr’s Tour de France.
“Actually, I am simply speechless,” Matthews stated after the race.
“Right now it was such a group effort, that win … that was for the boys.
“We rode all day at present and so they have been absolutely dedicated for me to win the stage.”
Matthews’s season had been beforehand outlined by a COVID-19 prognosis and a heavy crash on the Tour of Flanders, and he was a late call-up to journey at this yr’s Giro, a race he has solely contested thrice previous to this season.
“What I have been via these previous few months … It has been such a rollercoaster this yr,” Matthews, who has now received ten levels in complete at biking’s three grand excursions, stated.
“I got here right here to this Giro to have enjoyable, to get pleasure from driving my bike.
“Now we’re already on stage 3 with a stage win. It is greater than I may ever dream of.”
Remco Evenepoel, who after stage 2 prophesied that Matthews would win this stage, retained the pink chief’s jersey and gained time over his rivals by claiming bonus seconds at an intermediate dash.
The world champion had made headlines after Sunday’s stage by pointing the finger of blame at Groves for his half in a crash 4 kilometres from the end.
Groves addressed the “unlucky” incident previous to stage 3 getting underway, admitting some culpability in an interview with Biking Professional Internet.
“I did certainly push [Davide] Ballerini with my elbow as I used to be getting compelled into the barrier,” Groves stated.
“I used to be not going to surrender that wheel, and sadly that meant that he fell over a wheel and … [there was] the chain response of occasions inflicting a crash behind.
“Nothing towards Remco or Fast Step, the occasions are true however I need to make it clear that I saved my arms on the handlebars always and that I hope everybody concerned within the crash is OK.”
All 176 riders who began stage 2 have been on the beginning line at stage 3, together with Group DSM rider Martijn Tusveld, whose bike was damaged in half within the crash.
Evenepoel leads by 32 seconds from João Almeida, with Primož Roglič third, 44 seconds behind.
Matthews is as much as eighth place total, one minute and eight seconds down, with Jay Vine ninth, an extra six seconds again.
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