Mark Cavendish comes to the line inside the time limit after the toughest day of the race so far.
Made famous in 1967 by a young Eddy Merckx – a Grand Tour debutant at that time – who surged to victory ahead of many more experienced opponents, Blockhaus featured at the end of the race’s first week and set the stage of a first proper battle between the overall contenders. Averaging 8.4% over 13.6 kilometers, the gruelling climb in the Abruzzo region was visited for the sixth time by the race, and for the first time it witnessed a small group sprinting for victory, which was nabbed by Jai Hindley (Bora-hansgrohe).
Before hitting the ascent, the stage packing in 5000 vertical meters had been animated by a small breakaway that included in its ranks James Knox. The Brit, who is riding his fourth consecutive Giro d’Italia, was a strong presence in the front group until the slopes of Passo Lanciano, where an untimely mechanical took him out of the leading quintet.
It was a tough day for the sprinters, but stage 3 winner Mark Cavendish made it home with plenty of time to spare, thanks to a stellar effort of his Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl teammates, and will continue the Corsa Rosa next week – which will resume from Pescara – after a well-deserved rest day.
Photo credit: ©Tim De Waele / Getty Images
