Stage 3 of the Giro d’Italia Women saw the GC favourites coming to the fore for the first time in the nine-day race. The climb to Montenars, 1.9km at an average 9.1% with the steepest parts at 16%, saw an elite selection, but the four top favourites did not push on after the climb and instead saved their strength for Tuesday’s mountain time trial.
Demi Vollering (FDJ United-Suez) accelerated 300 metres from the top and was followed by Elisa Longo Borghini (UAE Team ADQ), Anna van der Breggen (SD Worx-Protime), and Marlen Reusser (Movistar). At the top of the climb, Femke de Vries (Visma-Lease a Bike) and Niamh Fisher-Black (Lidl-Trek) were two seconds behind, with Isabella Holmgren (Lidl-Trek) following another three seconds down.
