Giro d'Italia Giro d'Italia 2025, stage 3: Vlorë > Vlorë (160 km)

[Devil's Elbow]

I‘m thinking of the Tour for Pogačar right now

I'm thinking of Petacchi.

 

[Rou]

I see van Aert booking his ticket home at the end of the second week to start preparing for the Tour. He received his paycheck so why bother here?

 

[Boehmand]

I‘m thinking of the Tour for Pogačar right now

He could if he rode as a stage hunter - but the sprinters field is far better in the Tour and on the puncheur stages you have to contend with MvdP - so it would still be highly unrealistic.

As a GC rider - no way.

 

[E_F_]

I have to say, even though I expected Mads to take it in a reduced bunch sprint, I didn't expect it to be this uncomplicated...

 

[Sciatic]

Pederson so annoying, if he wins it's always a stage that had potential but was raced like sh*t.

We needed that Belgian Pozzato guy to be healthy and at least give him some competition

 

[titan31]

With WvA being less than stellar and an otherwise relatively weak sprinter/puncheur field - as well as a very strong and loyal team to back him up - this Giro could end up legendary for Pedersen.

He is arguably a favourite on stages 4, 5, 6, 12, 14, 15, 18 and 21.

And stages 8, 9, 10 and 13 are not entirely outside the realm of possibility.

Crazy to think about a GT, where a single rider could conceivably go for the stage win on 15 stages :O

Tbf it'll be interesting in the flatter sprints. I could still see Groves and Kooij beating him on those.

 

[EddyMazzoleni]

Hats off to Pedersen, but the fact that only Fortunato and Bilbao tried something was underwhelming.

 

[Sciatic]

With WvA being less than stellar and an otherwise relatively weak sprinter/puncheur field - as well as a very strong and loyal team to back him up - this Giro could end up legendary for Pedersen.

He is arguably a favourite on stages 4, 5, 6, 12, 14, 15, 18 and 21.

And stages 8, 9, 10 and 13 are not entirely outside the realm of possibility.

Crazy to think about a GT, where a single rider could conceivably go for the stage win on 15 stages :O

They do have a strong team but I kinda doubt they will stay strong and motivated enough to control the racing and prevent breaks from winning on several of those. BORA won't be concerned about breakaways so who is going to control things? UAE?

 

[Boehmand]

Tbf it'll be interesting in the flatter sprints. I could still see Groves and Kooij beating him on those.

I fully agree.

But I think Trek has a better train and Pedersen has a shot if he rides long sprints.

On raw speed they are both faster than him.

 

[Boehmand]

They do have a strong team but I kinda doubt they will stay strong and motivated enough to control the racing and prevent breaks from winning on several of those. BORA won't be concerned about breakaways so who is going to control things? UAE?

I think tomorrow decides a lot for how Lidl rides the rest of the Giro.

If Pedersen wins the flat bunch sprint tomorrow, I could see them go all in for the stage win record - and more or less abandon Ciccone's GC hopes in the proces (other than what he can do for himself)

If Groves, Kooij or someone else beats him tomorrow, they will see the flat bunch sprints are not worth sacrificing Ciccone for, and only back Pedersen on the more difficult puncheur stages.

 

[Red Rick]

This is just a pathetic effort from nearly all teams tbh.

 

[Krzysztof_O]

Given that Pedersen has learned how to climb it seems sky is the limit regarding his number of stage wins. Primoz & co will be in big shock when mad Mads drops a watt bomb on Finestre.

 

[Boehmand]

Glad I didn't watch this, and I won't, apart from a very few selective stages on friday/sunday. There will be a lot of sprints, even on MTF.

Thanks for sharing.

Will you tell us what you did instead - in detail?

 

[Tim Cahill]

Pedersen isn't beating Kooij on the flat, in fact I don't even think he's that good at sprinting this season, just being made to look better because Groves is injured and Van Aert is just waiting for the cheque to clear before DNF'ing.

He's beaten Strong, who's probably the 20th fastest guy in the World Tour, an Orluis Aular who is obviously riding on bread and water because his 'doctor' just got locked up (grey area ofc, not doping) and Brandon 'Bernal's mate' Rivera.

It's hardly a murderers row.

 

[Red Rick]

Pedersen isn't beating Kooij on the flat, in fact I don't even think he's that good at sprinting this season, just being made to look better because Groves is injured and Van Aert is just waiting for the cheque to clear before DNF'ing.

He's beaten Strong, who's probably the 20th fastest guy in the World Tour, an Orluis Aular who is obviously riding on bread and water because his 'doctor' just got locked up (grey area ofc, not doping) and Brandon 'Bernal's mate' Rivera.

It's hardly a murderers row.

Gonna be the slowest sprinter to win 6 in one Giro

 

[Heston]

Someone got DQ'ed it looks like. Fiorelli moved from 9th to 8th

 

[Zoetemelk-fan]

This is just a pathetic effort from nearly all teams tbh.

I completely agree.
Apparently I missed sending my post pre stage, stating that it surely wasn't for Pedersen today with so many interests from other teams for a different outcome and goal of attacs from the buttom of the last hard climb.

As Forunato and Bilbao went I had expected the peloton to explode with more strong riders to follow, but apparently the other teams decided on a rest day.
Even with a strong Lidl a strong group of climbers with an excursion from the bottom of the climb could IMO have made a difference.

But cadeau to Mads and Lidl. He is too strong in this peleton when delivered that way.

 

[Tim Cahill]

Gonna be the slowest sprinter to win 6 in one Giro

I think 2 more

Stage 14 and a misc one

 

[titan31]

Someone got DQ'ed it looks like. Fiorelli moved from 9th to 8th

Marcellusi it looks like. Which if it's cos of the bumping between him and Strong when they were fighting for Pedersens wheel, it's absolute bs. It was very much both of them doing it so for him to be relegated and not Strong is bs

 

[KOM]

Not if you are a Dane. But even if you are not, you have to respect this Mad Pedersen performance, this is not an easy climb.

As far as im concernedm Pedersen (and his team) is one of the few deserving of a win today, i just wasnt particularly interested in watching that almost uninevitably unfold

 

[Oldman]

This is just a pathetic effort from nearly all teams tbh.

Everything is according to plan.

 

[zlev11]

i dunno this stage went exactly as i expected it would. the climb was too far from the finish, wasn't hard enough and it's too early in the race.

 

[T-Nielsen]

WHAT HAPPENED TO THE REST?

They met an albanian godfather.

He made them an offer they couldn't understand.

 

[Hugo Koblet]

This has to be the most predictable stage in history of mankind. Everything went exactly as everyone knew it would, down to Fortunato attacking on the climb and Pedersen, Strong and Aular finishing 1, 2 and 3. The only thing that wasn't given was which five riders would join Tonelli in the break. And the goats.

Well done by Trek. Disappointing that no one tried anything for the stage win.

 

[Lequack]

Someone threw a perfectly good Quintana in the ocean