As it happened: It’s as you were as the sprinters take a tense finish at stage 3 of the Giro d’Italia Women

2026-06-01T15:30:29.393Z

Lily Williams (Human Powered Health) goes very long, but an imperious Balsamo catches her and takes the win. The Lidl-Trek rider extends her GC lead with a brilliant, brutal uphill sprint.

2026-06-01T15:29:04.491Z

550m to go and it’s left at the roundabout and onto the finish straight. And she’s caught!

Haugset still leads, but they’re getting very close now.

2026-06-01T15:28:06.489Z

Haugset is putting everything into this she’s got 5 seconds.

Haugset still leads, the Norwegian rider with 8km seconds, but Lidl-Trek are now chasing too, defending Balsamo’s maglia rosa.

2026-06-01T15:25:48.884Z

Liv-Alula Jayco are helping on the front too, but Haugset leads by 10 seconds as she flies under the 3km to go marker.

2026-06-01T15:24:53.533Z

FDJ United-SUEZ lead the chase, but Haugset is in a great position and looking great.

Haugset has never won a pro race and she has a good gap. There’s panic behind.

2026-06-01T15:22:46.685Z

Sigrid Ytterhus Haugset (UNO-X Mobility) is away no one could catch her and she has aa lead of a handful of seconds.

2026-06-01T15:21:02.833Z

And she’s caught, UNO-X Mobility take to the front. This is brilliantly chaotic.
Hey up, now it’s Rosita Reinhour of Visma-Lease a Bike trying her luck, though to no avail.

2026-06-01T15:19:38.199Z

Aude Biannic is the Movistar rider with a small gap. No one can make their mind who is going to chase. It’s the smallest of gaps, but…

2026-06-01T15:18:17.716Z

The leading group comprises about 35-40 riders and the pace eases, before Movistar attack. Building for a move form their GC leader Reusser?

2026-06-01T15:17:18.697Z

Persico goes again, is caught by Nina Buijsman (Human Powered Health) and once again we ease off.

The final 10km is pretty straightforward now, flat or downhill, there’s a train crossing with 7.5km to go and four roundabouts.

2026-06-01T15:15:50.847Z

One of the Aromitalia Vaiano riders has a go, and she’s caught too.

2026-06-01T15:14:58.475Z

Something is brewing, Movistar putting in a very short-lived dig.

2026-06-01T15:14:24.140Z

Pfeiffer Georgi (Picnic-PostNL) attacks hard, her British compatriot, Lauren Dickson (FDJ) leads the chase. But it’s Silvia Persico (UAE Team ADQ) who brings the Brit back.

2026-06-01T15:12:29.506Z

And rest!
FDJ United-SUEZ hit the front and the pace eases slightly as even more riders get back on.

Balsamo is one of those back in the leading peloton, maybe she can win again, it certainly looks good for her keeping the maglia rosa.

2026-06-01T15:10:17.700Z

And now we have more than a small group, it’s now a peloton at the front of the race. Niedermaier seems to be one of them.

2026-06-01T15:08:36.235Z

Into Gemona del Friuli now and Vollering ives it a go on one of the small climbs. The penultimate stage of the men’s race started here last week.

2026-06-01T15:07:19.842Z

The moment we say that more riders get back on, the group up to about 15 women now.

2026-06-01T15:06:39.144Z

Seven riders lead the race now, Femke de Vries (Visma-Lease a Bike) and the Lidl-Trek pair of Niamh Fisher-Black and Isabella Holmgren joining the original group.

2026-06-01T15:04:06.372Z

The leading group is swelling now, though Van der Breggen’s team mate has crashed on the descent. We’ll wait to se how she is.

The sprinters are well distanced, including Balsamo, it’s likely we’ll have a new maglia rosa at the end of the day.

2026-06-01T15:01:51.301Z

Van der Breggen leads over the top. It’s tight and technnical, with hairpin bends and two tunnels as we descend into Gemona. It’s tight and technical through the town too, with some cobbles and a small climb.

2026-06-01T15:01:23.527Z

Volllering attacks now, we’re very close to the top though. Elisa Longo Borghini (UAE Team ADQ) Marlen Reusser (Movistar) and Van der Breggen go with her.

2026-06-01T15:00:08.099Z

Anna van der Breggen takes over at the front, last year the SD Worx-Protime rider did this as a defensive tactic, it might not be that now.

2026-06-01T14:59:07.380Z

Only eight or nine riders are at the front now, they include many of the main favourites for the GC. But remember, the top is over 21km from the finish line, plenty of time to get back on.

2026-06-01T14:58:13.859Z

Demi Vollering’s FDJ United-SUEZ hit the front, Célia Gery upping the pace and creating a tiny group at the front of the race. Niedermaier is in the peloton but a long way from the front.

2026-06-01T14:55:25.603Z

A problem for Antonia Niedermaier, how is off the back as the climb looms. She has two of her Canyon-Sram team mates to help her get back on, they’ll have the vehicles to help, but they’ll be behind the very stretched peloton.

A great ride from Tonetti, Jackson and Pavesi, but they’re caught.

2026-06-01T14:50:23.367Z

The pressure to be in the right place in the peloton has upped the pace and they’re breathing down the necks of the breakaway. They were never going to make it.

2026-06-01T14:47:26.852Z

Montenars is the first 3rd category climb of this Giro and it’s a brute, with an average gradient of 7.1%, the last 1500m of the 2.5km climb are over 10% with ramps up to 20%.
It tops out 21.3km from the line.
Can the sprinters hold on?

In the peloton lead outs are beginning to form. The tight turn in town will be one reason, but the climb will be forefront in their minds, whether that be the sprinters looking for sliding room, or the GC riders looking to attack or defend.

2026-06-01T14:42:55.031Z

The breakaway are rebuilding their advantage again, it’s out to 40 seconds as they ride into the Tarcento.

2026-06-01T14:41:10.581Z

In the town of Tarcento, the route goes back on itself, before a slight descent towards the bottom of the Montenars climb.

2026-06-01T14:39:00.848Z

And once again the race eases, Tonetti, Jackson and Pavesi begin to build their lead back up and they ride across open fields.

2026-06-01T14:35:46.002Z

Tonetti, Jackson and Pavesi are still working very hard to stay away, despite their lead being only 12 seconds.
The road winds a little through this section, but there’s litttle in way of hills or descents, maybe the bunch will cut the break a little slack.

2026-06-01T14:32:45.593Z

Though the roads are winding uphill and through the forests, the peloton keep getting glimpses of the leaders just ahead.

Onto the narrower roads and uphill, Cristina Tonetti (Laboral Kutxa-Fundación Euskadi), Alison Jackson (St Michel-Preference Home-Auber93) Marta Pavesi (Top Girls Fassa Bortolo) only have 15 seconds at the front, but now they’re settling on the narrow, uphill lanes.

2026-06-01T14:29:47.456Z

This is a real cross-culture area, with the architecture showing the Austrian and Slovenian influence. Sometimes round here your mobile phone will switch from one country’s provider to another’s.

2026-06-01T14:27:38.338Z

Tonetti, Jackson and Pavesi cross the final line with the bunch little more than 30 seconds down.
Those narrow roads will be forefront in their minds.

2026-06-01T14:25:55.032Z

The three leaders are now on the circuit. Their lead keeps fluctuating between 45 seconds and one minute.

2026-06-01T14:24:07.899Z

The climb comes at the firsts point of the loop, but it’s not straightforward or even flat anywhere, and there’ll be some narrow roads too, where positioning is vital.

2026-06-01T14:21:59.417Z

We’re into the finish town of Buja now and about the join a loop of 44km. The riders will shortly have the chance to see the finish line.
Meanwhile Tonetti, Jackson and Pavesi lead the peloton by 55 seconds.

2026-06-01T14:19:43.708Z

We enter the final loop with 44km to go, crossing the line 600m later, but for now Tonetti, Jackson and Pavesi lead by 50 seconds.

2026-06-01T14:12:57.196Z

Deotto, Veenhoven and Guarischi are caught while the remaining three breakaway riders remain up the road, leading by one minute.

2026-06-01T14:10:09.840Z

Tonetti, Jackson and Pavesi lead the peloton by 45 seconds, while Deotto, Veenhoven and Guarischi are in the gap.

2026-06-01T14:06:47.589Z

Cristina Tonetti (Laboral Kutxa-Fundación Euskadi), Alison Jackson (St Michel-Preference Home-Auber93) and Marta Pavesi (Top Girls Fassa Bortolo) have chipped off the front of the breakaway just as the peloton ease up.

2026-06-01T14:05:11.921Z

The pace on the climb and, of course the earlier crash, has caused splits in the peloton.

At the top Alison Jackson takes the maximum points, so is now joint leader of the mountains classification.
She probably won’t get a chance on the next climb as the peloton are now only 25 seconds behind.

2026-06-01T14:02:44.897Z

The steepest slopes are at the bottom, but it’s a pretty constant climb, 1km average gradient of 6.4%.

2026-06-01T14:01:25.321Z

Over that little climb and now they’re onto the Moruzzo climb.
There’s been a crash in the peloton, but everyone is up and riding.

2026-06-01T13:59:15.713Z

Canyon-Sram take over at the front of the race.

2026-06-01T13:58:30.473Z

With the bunch on the flat and the break going uphill, the gap is dropping like a stone, it’s down to only 1.50.

2026-06-01T13:55:37.652Z

The breakaway is approaching a short, introductory climb now, it has some gradients of 10%.

2026-06-01T13:50:59.112Z

It’s certainly more relaxed in the bunch than previous days. Stage one the prize of the maglia rosa was so huge all the teams were there, and it was similar on Sunday, Balsamo having only inherited the race lead.
Today the hierarchy of the peloton is established and other teams can sit back and leave it all up to Lidl-Trek.

It’s still Lidl-Trek doing the work and they’re letting the gap back out again, it’s almost three minutes again. With so far to go, it’s probably not time to bring the break back just yet.

2026-06-01T13:43:54.021Z

With the climbs coming the leaders’ advantage is beginning to shrink. The peloton are only 2.25 behind Tonetti, Jackson, Deotto, Veenhoven, Pavesi and Guarischi.

2026-06-01T13:36:44.315Z

Overall leader Elisa Balsamo is one of the world’s best sprinters, but she can get over hills, don’t be surprised if she takes another win today.

2026-06-01T13:34:43.821Z

Today is the kind of stage where anything can happen. Despite the climb we could get a bunch sprint, the breakaway could survive or even a solo winner. Most likely is a reduced bunch sprint.

The route is still dragging on the false flat, but it’s becoming slightly more challenging as they head towards the climb now.
Tonetti, Jackson, Deotto, Veenhoven, Pavesi and Guarischi continue to lead by 3.05.

2026-06-01T13:25:44.929Z

Lidl-Trek are still leading the peloton

Team Lidl -Trek lead the peloton during stage 3 of the 2026 Giro d’Italia Women. (Photo by Luc Claessen/Getty Images) (Image credit: Getty Images)

2026-06-01T13:18:45.840Z

We’ve had some rain out there, but nothing currently too torrential.

After the Ca’ dell Poggio yesterday, today’s first climb is the Moruzzo, the race’s second 4th category climb. It comes in 30km, the average gradient is 6.4%, but it’s only one kilometre long.
The breakaway’s lead is steady at 3.10.

So far today’s stage has been pan flat, but now the riders are on a false flat, dragging gently towards the mountains beyond the finish.
The breakawy’s lead remains static around the 3.05 mark.

2026-06-01T13:03:36.066Z

Elena Cecchini is one of the strongest and smartest riders in the peloton, and not only is the SD Worx-Protime rider is retiring at the end of the season, today’s stage goes through her home roads.

2026-06-01T13:00:55.459Z

Tonetti takes maximum points and bonus seconds at the intermediate sprint.
Meanwhile, behind the six rider breakaway, Hashimi and Zsankó sat up and have been caught by the peloton, who remain 3.05 behind the leaders.

2026-06-01T12:59:03.731Z

After allowing the breakaway a lead of more than six minutes during yesterday’s stage, it’s unlikely they’ll let them have so much today. Not only are there more riders up the road, two of them represent WorldTour teams, so possess more horsepower.

There’s not much change now the race is established.
Tonetti, Jackson, Deotto, Veenhoven, Pavesi and Guarischi have a lead of one minute over Hashimi and Zsankó, whle the peloton are 3.05 behind the leaders.

2026-06-01T12:50:13.654Z

We’re approaching the day’s intermediate sprint, at Villa Manin di Passariano, with 105.2km to go. There are 12, 8, 6, 3, 1 points available there, as well as 6, 4 and 2 bonus seconds.

The race has settled a little, with Tonetti, Jackson, Deotto, Veenhoven, Pavesi and Guarischi leading the peloton by 2.45.
In the gap Hashimi and Zsankó are stuck in no-wo,en’s land, one minute down.
Behind, the Lidl-Trek team of overall leader Elisa Balsamo lead the peloton.

2026-06-01T12:31:35.625Z

The weather is looking less than appealing as the riders head north.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Tonetti, Jackson, Deotto, Veenhoven, Pavesi and Guarischi lead the peloton by 2.40, while Hashimi and Zsankó are back together but 55 seconds behind the leaders.

2026-06-01T12:19:50.592Z

Tonetti, Jackson, Deotto, Veenhoven, Pavesi and Guarischi now have 2.40 on the peloton, while Hashimi has dropped Zsankó.

2026-06-01T12:14:25.215Z

Tonetti, Jackson, Deotto, Veenhoven, Pavesi and Guarischi now lead by one minute, though there are two more riders chasing.

Fariba Hashimi (Vini Fantini-BePink) and Petra Zsankó (Aromitalia Vaiano) are in pursuit.

2026-06-01T12:08:04.139Z

And those five have been joined by Barbara Guarischi (SD Worx-Protime), so a group of 6 are away.
Other teams may not like the fact Guarischi is in there, the presence of someone from a team with a GC contender might not be a good thing for them.

2026-06-01T12:06:04.094Z

Cristina Tonetti (Laboral Kutxa-Fundación Euskadi), Alison Jackson (St Michel-Preference Home-Auber93), Eleonora Deotto (Mendelspeck E-Work), Nienke Veenhoven (Visma-Lease a Bike), and Marta Pavesi (Top Girls Fassa Bortolo) are up the road with a lead of 25 seconds.

2026-06-01T12:01:49.595Z

Still no news on the escapees.

2026-06-01T11:59:04.407Z

Five riders have managed to claw their way clear, but their lead is negligible at the moment.

2026-06-01T11:54:08.244Z

It’s a busy start with plenty of attacks springing off the front.

2026-06-01T11:52:55.399Z

Plenty of people came out to the start in Bibione today to see the race leader, Elisa Balsamo and her Lidl-Trek team mates.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

2026-06-01T11:48:26.826Z

The flag has dropped and we’re off and racing.

2026-06-01T11:40:16.621Z

The start is on the coast again before we head north, as we did yesterday, this time to the edge of the Julian Prealps. We’ve got a 4th category climb before we pass through the finish with 43km in Buja, but the main climb of the day, Montenars, tops out with 21.3km to go, after which it’s downhill much of the way to the line.

2026-06-01T11:32:45.123Z

We’re off and rolling, this time for almost 9km of neutral before we get going. It’s relatively cool at the start, around 24º and it’s cooler at the finish with a 30% chance of rain later, though the wind is nothing to speak of.

2026-06-01T11:27:40.996Z

With just a few minutes until the neutralised start, sign on is well under way. Today could be a good one for World Champion, Magdeleine Vallieres (EF Education-Oatly).

(Image credit: Getty Images)

2026-06-01T11:21:33.274Z

It’s been a tough week for SD Worx-Protime after losing sprinter, Lorena Wiebes on stage one.

2026-06-01T11:15:12.591Z

For today’s stage we’ve moved further east for, another 156km starting on the coast at Bibione and heading north to Buja for a lumpy finish. We roll out at 13:30CET.

2026-06-01T11:08:08.654Z