Paul Magnier (center) edges out Jonathan Milan (left) and Dylan Groenewegen to claim stage three of the Giro d’Italia in Sofia.
French rider Paul Magnier (Soudal Quick-Step) secured his second stage victory of this year’s Giro d’Italia, catching Italy’s Jonathan Milan (Lidl-Trek) on the line in a dramatic sprint finish during the third stage in Sofia. Milan powered to the front on the final bend with 150 metres remaining, but could not hold off the 22-year-old Frenchman, while Dutch sprinter Dylan Groenewegen (Unibet Rose Rockets) claimed third place. Magnier briefly raised his arm in celebration but had to wait for the official photo-finish result to confirm his victory—winning two of the three stages held in Bulgaria.
“To be honest, I wasn’t really sure I had won the stage,” Magnier admitted. “I celebrated and then thought, ‘Oh, I’m not sure.’”
The Giro’s final day in Bulgaria took riders 175 kilometres from Plovdiv to the capital, featuring a mostly flat route punctuated by the Borovets climb and a downhill finish into Sofia—ideal terrain for sprinters. After two crash-marred stages, Sunday’s race was more relaxed. Spain’s Diego Pablo Sevilla once again joined an early breakaway, but as in the first two stages, his efforts proved futile.
The peloton rolls through the countryside on the road from Plovdiv to Sofia.
The main bunch left it late to reel in the three leaders, catching them only inside the final kilometre. Milan went all out, hoping to outsmart his rivals, but Magnier proved his opening-day win was no fluke. “I dreamed about it, and it was a goal to go for the stage again,” Magnier said. “The team did an amazing job once more. We had to be in a good position with one kilometre to go, and that’s exactly what we did.”
Stage winner Paul Magnier celebrates with his Soudal Quick-Step teammates in Sofia.
There was no change in the general classification. Stage two winner Guillermo Thomas Silva of Uruguay retained the leader’s jersey, holding a four-second advantage over Florian Stark and Egan Bernal. Britain’s Adam Yates, twin brother of last year’s winner Simon, did not start stage three following a crash on Saturday. The UAE-Team Emirates-XRG rider, who hit a barrier at high speed, finished nearly 14 minutes behind the leading pack after battling on in a blood-stained kit. He was left with delayed concussive symptoms and out of overall contention.
His teammates Jay Vine and Marc Soler were also injured. Australian Vine suffered a concussion and an elbow fracture, while Spaniard Soler sustained a pelvic fracture. All three riders are under medical observation and will travel home in the coming days to continue their recovery.
The Giro arrives in Italy on Tuesday, after Monday’s rest day, with stage four’s 138-kilometre ride from Catanzaro to Cosenza.