Second group sprint (the first truly with full ranks) and second victory at the 2026 Giro d'Italia for Paul Magnier. At the finish line in Sofia, the finish of the third stage starting from Plovdiv, the French rider from Soudal Quick-Step beat Jonathan Milan (Lidl-Trek) and Dylan Groenewegen (Unibet Rose Rockets), scoring his second success in this brilliant start to the Corsa Rosa.

Just off the podium of the day were Estonian Madis Mihkels (EF Education-Easypost) and Matteo Malucelli, the fast wheel of XDS Astana which on Tuesday, from Catanzaro, will restart after the rest day displaying the pink jersey of Guillermo Thomas Silva who today, well protected by his teammates, had no problems confirming himself at the top of the general classification.

THE RACE

With the non-starts of Andrea Vendrame (Jayco-AlUla) and Adam Yates (UAE Emirates-XRG), the race starts from Plovdiv under splendid sunshine and immediately sees Manuele Tarozzi (Bardiani CSF 7 Saber), Alessandro Tonelli and the blue jersey Diego Pablo Sevilla (Polti VisitMalta) launch themselves in the breakaway. The peloton doesn't give the three much room given that, almost immediately, the men from the sprinters' teams take the lead, and by setting the pace, they prevent the gap of the trio from assuming particularly significant proportions.

With an advantage never exceeding 3'45", the three manage to contest the points available both at the flying finish in Dolna Banja (1st Tarozzi) and at the second category climb of Borovets Pass (1st Sevilla) along which, behind them, Arnaud De Lie (Lotto Intermarchè) shows he is still far from acceptable physical condition by dropping back and then rejoining the group at a later moment.

The latter, always pulled by the sprinters' teams, continuing its inexorable and controlled progression, goes to whittle down, kilometer after kilometer, the disadvantage from the men in the breakaway who, however, having passed through the Red Bull KM (1st Tarozzi) located 13 kilometers from the finish, find the strength to increase the pace and make the peloton's return decidedly difficult, which only at 400 meters from the line manages to catch up with them.

At this point it is Unibet Rose Rockets of Groenewegen that takes command of operations but even before the French team can proceed with its canonical leadout, it is Jonathan Milan who anticipates the timing by launching his sprint very early. The choice, unfortunately for him, doesn't pay the expected dividends because Magnier promptly takes his wheel and jumping him in the final tens of meters goes to celebrate for the second time in three days.

The final effort nonetheless allows the Italian to save second place from the powerful comeback of Groenewegen who, bringing home the best placement of his career at the Giro, in the climb of the race from Catanzaro will try to approach the first success at the Corsa Rosa in a much more consistent manner, an objective that also the other disappointed riders of today, from Ackermann (8th) to Andresen (9th today after the 2nd place in Burgas) up to Vernon (17th) and Van Uden (24th), will undoubtedly try to put in their sights in the coming sprint finishes along the Peninsula starting, perhaps, right from Tuesday's stage.

It is not excluded that, in two days, one of them could save themselves on the slopes of the only climb (the 2nd category climb of Cozzo Tunno) inserted in the fourth stage of 138 kilometers starting from Catanzaro and, probably in a more select peloton, go to assert their sprint on the slightly uphill finish in Cosenza.

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FINISHING ORDER

1. Paul Magnier (FRA/Soudal-Quick Step) - 4:09:42

2. Jonathan Milan (ITA/Lidl-Trek) - s.t.

3. Dylan Groenewegen (NED/Unibet Rose Rockets) - s.t.

4. Madis Mihkels (EST/EF Education-EasyPost) - s.t.

5. Matteo Malucelli (ITA/XDS-Astana) - s.t.

6. Erlend Blikra (NOR/Uno-X Mobility) - s.t.

7. Pascal Ackermann (GER/Jayco-AlUla) - s.t.

8. Davide Ballerini (ITA/XDS-Astana) - s.t.

9. Tobias Lund Andresen (DAN/Decathlon-CMA CGM) - s.t.

10. Enrico Zanoncello (ITA/Bardiani-CSF-7Saber) - s.t.

GENERAL CLASSIFICATION

1. Guillermo Thomas Silva (URU/XDS Astana) - 13:10:05

2. Florian Stork (GER/Tudor Pro Cycling) at 0:04

3. Egan Bernal (COL/Netcompany Ineos) at 0:04

4. Thymen Arensman (NED/Netcompany Ineos) at 0:06

5. Giulio Ciccone (ITA/Lidl-Trek) at 0:06

6. Jan Christen (SUI/UAE Emirates-XRG) at 0:10

7. Martin Tjotta (NOR/Uno-X Mobility) at 0:10

8. Johannes Kulset (NOR/Uno-X Mobility) at 0:10

9. Enric Mas (SPA/Movistar) at 0:10

10. Lennert van Eetvelt (BEL/Lotto-Intermarchè) at 0:10

OTHER CLASSIFICATIONS

Points Classification: Paul Magnier (FRA/Soudal Quick-Step)

Mountains Classification: Diego Pablo Sevilla (SPA/Polti VisitMalta)

Best Young Rider Classification: Guillermo Thomas Silva (URY/XDS Astana)