Giro d’Italia Women 2026 Stage 3 – Maglia Rosa Elisa Balsamo claims her third victory of the week to extend lead in GC ahead of time-trial

Elisa Balsamo (Lidl-Trek) sprinted to victory on Stage 3 of the Giro d’Italia Women to claim her third consecutive win of the race to increase her lead in the maglia rosa to 24 seconds ahead of Tuesday’s brutal time-trial.

It was nearly not to be for the Italian sprinter when she was dropped on the final categorised climb of Montenars (cat. 3) with around 22km to go before everything would come back together with 15km to the finish.

An unpredictable stage on paper, the day’s breakaway formed quickly with around 146km to go, with Canada national champion Alison Jackson (St Michel-Preference Home-Auber93) joined by Eleonora Deotto (Team Mendelspeck E-Work), Barbara Guarischi (SD Worx-Protime), Nienke Veenhoven (Visma-Lease a Bike) and Marta Pavesi (Top Girls Fassa Bortolo).

The breakaway were allowed to grow their advantage to around three minutes, collecting maximum points on the cat. 4 climb before they were eventually caught with 25.8km to go.

An increase of pace as the peloton hit the bottom of the final climb of the day saw the GC riders move to the front and out of danger, but it was Celia Gery (FDJ United-Suez) who took to the front to brutally split up the peloton - leaving only a select group at the head of the race and seeing the maglia rosa Balsamo dropped.

With just under 22km to go, European champion Demi Vollering (FDJ United-Suez) hit the front of the race and attacked, with defending champion Elisa Longo Borghini (UAE Team ADQ), Anna van der Breggen (SD Worx-Protime) and Marlen Reusser (Movistar) among the nine riders to follow.

The select group’s advantage grew to nearly a minute on the descent, but a lack of cohesion saw things come back together with 15km to go.

Multiple attacks from the bunch failed to stick before Uno-X Mobility’s Sigrid Ytterhus Haugset managed to attack and open a small gap. She would hit the final kilometre solo, but a punchy uphill finish would see her absorbed by the peloton, with Lily Williams (Human Powered Health) launching her sprint with 300m to go.

Quickly following behind, Balsamo bridged across to Williams, passing her with 125m to go to comfortably claim her third victory of the race, pipping Williams in second and Femke Gerritse (SD Worx-Protime) in third.

It is a tough one, with questions about whether riders will opt to change bikes midway through.

A technical start with a descent through the town of Belluino and cobbled sectors before the time-trial hits an absolutely brutal ascent with multiple hairpins over 10% gradient.

We have the time-trial world champion Marlen Reusser (Movistar) but this is far from a straightforward TT.

It was pretty much as I expected. It was a pretty hard climb but for me, it was before long days.

The climb was good, I took the mountain's jersey, it was a small accident, I didn't think about it. I always say the mountain jersey is something nice for riders to develop and fight for, so I will not try to keep it.

The climb was good and the team put me in a good position and I think it was small but nice start to the climbs and tomorrow is an important day with the time-trial.

I think it will be a difficult time-trial. I did not do a recon yet but I know the climb is steep and also my team-mates know the area. It's always difficult to pace it well because you start flat and finish flat, but in-between you don't need to blow up to make it a good mountain time-trial.

It's something special. The legs are feeling quite okay today so that's nice to take with me tomorrow but it will be an incredibly difficult time-trial and I'm looking forward to it.

Anna van der Breggen moves into the Queen of the Mountains jersey having taken maximum points on the cat. 3 climb.

Maglia Rosa - Elisa Balsamo (Lidl Trek)

Maglia Rossa - Elisa Balsamo (Lidl Trek)

Maglia Azzura - Anna van der Breggen (SD Worx-Protime)

Maglia Bianca - Celia Gery (FDJ United-Suez)

1. Elisa Balsamo (Lidl-Trek) 10:59:24

2. Lily Williams (Human Powered Health ) +24"

3. Elisa Longo Borghini (UAE Team ADQ) +30"

4. Margaux Vigie (Visma-Lease a Bike) +30"

5. Celia Gery (FDJ United-SUEZ) +30"

6. Anna van der Breggen (SD Worx-Protime) +30"

7. Niamh Fisher-Black (Lidl-Trek) +30"

8. Silvia Persico (UAE Team ADQ) +30"

9. Demi Vollering (FDJ United-SUEZ) +30"

10. Lauren Dickson (FDJ United-SUEZ) +30"

Today was such a hard day in the final. I still need to recover but once again my team did an amazing job. They were pulling the whole day to close on the breakaway and then in the final. Niamh [Fisher-Black) and Bella [Holmgren], our GC leader, they were helping me, it was amazing. I knew this sprint because I did a recon, so I was ready, but I am also a bit surprised, and I’m super happy.

My big goal for today was trying to keep the pink jersey, and so I was fighting. I gave it my all but this climb was so hard for me. I knew it was a long way to the end, so I really tried to stay in a small group and then we came back and everything was perfect.

I’m laughing a bit thinking about tomorrow’s time-trial. Maybe the GC riders wanted to try their legs today to be ready for tomorrow because it’s going to be a very important day but from my side, I just want to enjoy this jersey and tomorrow I will do my best.

1. Elisa Balsamo (Lidl Trek) 3:43:43

2. Lily Williams (Human Powered Health) "

3. Femke Gerritse (SD Worx-Protime) "

4. Elisa Longo Borghini (UAE Team ADQ) "

5. Silvia Persico (UAE Team ADQ) "

6. Pfeiffer Georgi (Picnic PostNL) "

7. Millie Couzens (Fenix-Premier Tech) "

8. Marlen Reusser (Movistar) "

9. Celia Gery (FDJ United-SUEZ) "

10. Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig (Canyon-SRAM zondacrypto) "

She's done it again!

The maglia rosa picks up her third victory of the race to increase her lead in the general classification ahead of tomorrow's time trial.

It's a decisive victory holding off Lily Williams (Human Powered Health) after a challenging day in the hills.

She's going to have to dig deep with the charging peloton as we dip under the flamme rogue.

Lily Williams (Human Powered Health) launches her attack as Haugset is absorbed by the bunch, but she's quickly followed by Elisa Longo Borghini (UAE Team ADQ) and Elisa Balsamo (Lidl-Trek).

As Haugset remains strong, the peloton are beginning to act and close down the lone attacker.

Here's a reminder of the closing stages of today's stage, where the punchy uphill climb could give another opportunity for a launch pad moment.

Uno-X Mobility's Sigrid Ytterhus Haugset has finally managed to attack the peloton and open a small gap.

She's only around 5" ahead but she's holding firm as it stands and she's going to time trial to the end.

Uno-X Mobility's Sigrid Ytterhus Haugset has finally managed to attack the peloton and open a small gap.

She's only around 5" ahead but she's holding firm as it stands and she's going to time trial to the end.

Just as things seem to have subdued, Movistar once again go on the attack and are quickly followed by UAE Team ADQ but Movistar once again launch again.

Will a move finally stick? Are they setting it up for Reusser?

The former British champion (Picnic Post-NL) goes on the attack and manages to stretch the bunch. She's nullified quickly after but this could be the trigger to multiple attacks as Movistar also go on the attack.

The breakaway hit an unclassified climb and it looks like things are going to come back together, with some reinforcements available to the riders.

The maglia rosa has also returned to the front of the race.

She's really gone for today but there's a lack of cohesion between the group.

She decides to attack again on her own and is quickly followed by the group

The breakaway riders are:

Elisa Longo Borghini (UAE Team ADQ)

Lore De Schepper (AG Insurance-Soudal)

Demi Vollering (FDJ-United SUEZ)

Niamh Fisher-Black (Lidl-Trek)

Monica Trinca Colonel (Liv AlUla Jayco)

Marlen Reusser (Movistar)

Anna van der Breggen (SD Worx-Protime)

Femke de Vries (Visma-Lease a Bike)

Anna van der Breggen (SD Worx-Protime) leads the elite group of nine riders down the climb and they have nearly a minute advantage over the maglia rosa.

Will they work together to keep the breakaway away? Or will they start looking around and allow the peloton to come back together.

There's a crash by SD Worx-Protime's Mikayla Harvey, who appears to have gone under the barrier on a hairpin.

As Anna van der Breggen takes to the front of the select group of elite riders, Demi Vollering attacks over the steepest part of the climb.

Elisa Longo-Borghini (UAE Team ADQ) is stuck to her wheel, and van der Breggen (SD Worx-Protime) and Marlen Reusser (Movistar) are able to bridge across.

Elisa Balsamo (Lidl-Trek) has been dropped!

She was a potential favourite for today's stage but Celia Gery (FDJ-United SUEZ) takes to the front to brutally pick up the page, which absolutely decimates the peloton into pieces and cracks begin to form.

All the big GC favourites look to be accounted for, but are we expecting Demi Vollering to attack?