VLORE, Albania — In a spectacular finish, Mads Pedersen reclaimed the leader’s pink jersey after securing his second victory in the current Giro d’Italia with a dramatic sprint at the end of the third stage on Sunday.
Pedersen, representing Lidl-Trek, managed to narrowly defeat Corbin Strong by just a half-wheel in the climactic conclusion of the challenging 160-kilometer (99-mile) route that started and concluded in the picturesque coastal city of Vlore.
Not far behind, Orluis Aula secured the third spot.
Previously, Pedersen celebrated success by winning the opening stage on Friday, only to see the pink jersey slip into the hands of pre-race favorite Primoz Roglic the following day.
With this victory, Pedersen has once again donned the coveted pink, setting the stage for further sprint challenges as the race returns to Italy. Currently, the Danish cyclist holds a nine-second lead over Roglic and is 14 seconds in front of Mathias Vacek.
As the race wraps up its stages in Albania, the cyclists will make a short journey across the Adriatic Sea to reach the Italian region of Puglia. After a rest day, the race resumes on Tuesday.
The fourth stage promises to be an exciting competition, as it charts a mostly flat 189-kilometer path from the UNESCO World Heritage site of Alberobello to Lecce, likely resulting in another competitive sprint finish.
The exhilarating race is set to conclude on June 1 in Rome.