Remco Evenepoel is on track. © ANSA / LUCA ZENNARO

Evenepoel extends Giro lead

Road cycling world champion Remco Evenepoel has extended his overall lead at the 106th Giro d'Italia.

08 May 2023

From: dpa

A place in the first large group was enough for the Belgian on the third stage on Monday; the 23-year-old gained three bonus seconds along the way. On the 213 kilometer long section from Vasto to Melfi, the Australian Michael Matthews won ahead of the Danish former world champion Mads Pedersen and his compatriot Kaden Groves.

In the overall standings, Evenepoel is now 32 seconds ahead of the Portuguese Joao Almeida. The Vuelta champion extended the lead over his biggest rival, third-placed Slovenian Primoz Roglic, to 44 seconds. The race only picked up speed in the last 30 kilometers when several top sprinters were no longer able to keep up with the pace on two mountain classifications in the third and fourth categories. Evenepoel's team ensured that the captain was well placed on the descent and secured time credit in the bonus sprint ahead of Roglic.

The first real mountain test takes place on Thursday. Three climbs have to be overcome on the 175 kilometer long stage to Lago Laceno. The Colle Molella, which is on average over six percent steep, is only crossed three kilometers before the finish.