Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert (Italy) - Press Release: The peloton of the Giro d'Italia (2.UWT) started the third stage in the rain. On the program this Monday, a crossing of the Piedmont region of 190 kilometers from Biella towards Canale in the north-west of the country. Four climbs, spread over the last 70 kilometers, offered the prospect of an uncertain stage.

Like the day before, the first attack turned out to be the right one for the breakaway. After 5 kilometers, eight men received the green light from the peloton. Among them, the Dutchman Taco van der Hoorn, who had already distinguished himself at the forefront this season during Milan-San Remo and the E3 Classic. This group had accumulated a maximum lead of 6.30 minutes after an hour of racing.

As we approached the first climb of Piancanelli (7.5 km at 4.9%) after 120 km, the gap had dropped to 3 minutes. van der Hoorn made a good impression up front, managing his effort and not taking part in the fight for the mountain jersey, worn by his escape companion Albanese (EOLO). In the climb of Castino (5.1 km at 4.8%) whose summit was located 45 km from the finish, the breakaway lost two units while the peloton had returned to 2 minutes.

At the end of the suspense, and after a breakaway of nearly 190 kilometers, the Dutchman arrived alone on the finish line at Canale. He claims the first victory of the season for Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux, also its first on a Grand Tour, on the very first Giro of the Belgian team.

Stage 3 :

1. Taco van der Hoorn
2. Davide Cimolai +4
3. Elia Viviani
12. Quinten Hermans
13. Andrea Pasqualon 
64. Rein Taaramäe 
90. Jan Hirt  
134. Simone Petilli +9:36
174. Wesley Kreder +14:06
176. Riccardo Minali

Provisional GC :

1. Filippo Ganna
2. Edoardo Affini +13
3. Tobias Foss +16
57. Quinten Hermans +53
69. Rein Taaramäe +57
83. Andrea Pasqualon +1:07
86. Taco van der Hoorn +1:08
87. Jan Hirt +1:09
138. Simone Petilli +10:45
178. Riccardo Minali +15:21
179. Wesley Kreder +15:27