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Follow us on GoogleKaden Groves and Tobias Lund Andresen were not among the front runners in stage 3 of the Giro d'Italia. The two leading sprinters from Alpecin-Premier Tech and Decathlon CMA CGM played no part in the fight for the win in the race's second sprint opportunity. Both teams offered an explanation afterwards.
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Andresen, who had pushed Paul Magnier all the way on day one before narrowly losing out, could only manage ninth on stage 3. The young Dane was not particularly surprised by that, however. "This was a really different sprint — a true highway sprint. In that type of finish, it really is all about timing," he said in a brief reaction.
The French outfit's morale remained undented by the missed opportunity — the team, who are also riding for a GC result with Félix Gall, signed off with the message: "Heading to Italy for new opportunities."
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Alpecin-Premier Tech switched sprinters
At Alpecin-Premier Tech, the team's best finisher on the day was not Groves but Jensen Plowright. The 25-year-old Australian received a lead-out from Jonas Rickaert but could not make an impact, finishing 18th.
Plowright got his opportunity on Sunday after Groves reported that he was not feeling his best. The winner of multiple Grand Tour stages had crashed heavily on day one and, almost inevitably, was feeling the effects two days later.
"And like that we end the Bulgarian part of the Giro d'Italia," the Belgian outfit wrote on their social channels. "Kaden didn't find his best legs today, so we switched plans and sprinted with Jensen — P18, but more than ready to leave for Italy."
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Jonathan Milan also hoping for better luck in Italy
Stage 3 was won by Paul Magnier, ahead of Jonathan Milan and a frustrated Dylan Groenewegen. Milan was equally disappointed at another missed chance, having already been forced into fourth place on day one by a lead-out that misfired.
"I think we did better than that time. We rode as a team and held our position," the Italian said to RAI Sport. It still wasn't enough. "We did what we wanted to do, but without the result. Maybe I went a bit too early — I thought the last corner was a bit closer to the finish."
"Maybe I should have waited a bit longer, because it didn't work out. I'm going to try to win a stage, because I feel a little bit better every day."
Bram van der PloegEditor-in-chief
Bram van der Ploeg (35) is the proud founder of In de Leiderstrui, IDL Pro Cycling's parent site, launched in 2018. Finally, he could create stories about the sport he had followed since childhood. He is the editor-in-chief on paper, but prefers to be with his recorder next to a rider, a team bus, or in the mud at a cyclocross race. Every year, from February to the end of May, Bram follows the entire Italian cycling season, from the Trofeo Laigueglia to the Giro d'Italia, with the grand finale in October in Lombardy. During that time, he lives in Tuscany, where he has since come to call Italy his 'home'.
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Latest Comments
- Eight riders told to go for stages, and nobody gets one—hard to know what the plan was there. It’ll be interesting to see whether they pick a clear leader next time.bikebuffj10-11-2026
- Was Bernal’s 20th place really their best GC result? I thought he might have finished higher. Either way, it sounds like a rough Tour for the whole team.gearguru3310-11-2026
- Five days in breaks with no stage win is a painful stat. The team had chances, but they need to turn those opportunities into results.julien10-11-2026
- The Onley Vuelta example makes sense: a team with someone to rally around often looks much more cohesive. Hopefully INEOS can build on that rather than expecting a quick return to the Sky years.cadencekingm10-11-2026
- Thomas is right about the ambiguity. Eight riders all chasing stages can end up pulling in different directions, even if nobody’s deliberately working against anyone. They need a clearer plan once the GC leaders are out.robert6510-11-2026
- What a mess. The report makes it sound as though nobody properly explained the decision, and that’s hard to defend.jennifer1910-11-2026
- I’m still learning the rules: does moving left in a sprint automatically bring a penalty, or does it depend on whether the other rider is blocked? It sounds like Brand wasn’t impeded here.patriciaw10-11-2026
- A final decision still needs a proper explanation. If the federation’s complaint goes nowhere, I hope the officials at least review how they handled the riders afterwards.michael5410-11-2026
- Fair play to Lucinda for saying Marie had won fair and square. That kind of sportsmanship matters, especially after such a controversial decision.raceready710-11-2026
- Schreiber beat Brand on the road, so the jury needed to explain clearly why that slight deviation warranted relegation. Being cut off before she could give her account sounds appalling.lindae10-11-2026
