Tougher day for Ireland's Gillespie at Giro as Balsamo on fire

Lara Gillespie, in the red points classification leader's kit had a toughe day on the Giro as race leader Elisa Balsamo put in an epic ride to win again (Photo: Luc Claessen-Getty Images)

Lara Gillespie (UAE Team ADQ) and most of the other sprinters in Giro d'Italia 2026 came unstuck on a late cat 3 climb on stage 3 today, Monday, when some of the general classification riders took it up on the front.

However, the winner of the opening two stages - Italian Elisa Balsamo (Lidl Trek) - was the one exception. Though distanced on the climb, she grovelled over the top and managed to get back to the leaders when a regrouping took place.

After getting back on, she lingered near the back of the group to recover, before moving gradually towards the front as the finish neared and then easily winning the sprint.

That makes for three stage wins from three attempts, with the Italian former world champion also keeping the race leader's jersey. She has extended her advantage thanks to the time bonus for winning the stage.

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Gillespie and the other sprinters were hoping the race would not be too intense on the late climb of Montenars. But almost immediately it began, general classification favourite Demi Vollering (FDJ United Suez) put her team to work on the front.

Italy’s Elisa Balsamo of Lidl-Trek really suffered over the final climb but she got back into the group and won the day after an epic comeback (Photo: Davide Spada)

Her 20-year-old French team mate, Célia Gery, hit the front with an extended burst of power, with the gaps immediately appearing through the field.

Gradually, a group of about eight riders pulled clear, with Anna van der Breggen (Team SD Worx-Protime) and Vollering herself also taking to the front to push it for the first time on this race.

However, when the front group crested the climb, with 22km remaining to the finish in Bjua, the leaders did not push home their advantage.

And when they stalled, groups began catching them, eventually making for a near 50-rider reduced peloton. Gillespie was not too far off the back when the regrouping happened, but with attacks off the front of the race, the pace did not drop.

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And though Sigrid Ytterhus Haugset (Uno-X Mobility) got clear solo with just over 6km to go, she was caught deep into the final kilometre as the road kicked up towards the line.

Balsamo came through to win it easily, reacting immediately when Lily Williams (Human Powered Health) opened the sprint early, hoping to catch the others off guard.

Balsamo took it from Williams, with Femke Gerritse (Team SD Worx-Protime) 3rd and all of the general classification riders in the reduced bunch.

Gillespie finished in the next group on the road, some 1:19 down. That means the Irish rider goes from 2nd overall - after her 2nd place finishes on stages 1 and 2 - to 41st.

However, she will once again wear the red kit of points classification leader tomorrow as the leader of that competition, Balsamo, will be in the race leader's maglia rosa once more.

The race continues tomorrow with a 12.7km TT, most of which consists of a cat 1 climb to Nevegal. And by the time the test concludes, the pecking order in the general classification should be well established.

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