Dogs & goats can't stop Pedersen regaining pink at Giro

Yahoo

11-05-2025

After two days when crashes floored the Australian challenge at the Giro d'Italia, not even dogs and goats on the road could this time disrupt their top hopes on the last day of the great race's Grande Partenza in Albania.
And neither could those four-legged interlopers stop the brilliant Mads Pedersen reclaiming the leader's pink jersey on Sunday after an eventful third stage of the Italian Grand Tour.
Denmark's former world champ Pedersen won a bunch sprint for the second time in three days to reclaim the jersey he had held after the opening stage, only for race favourite Primoz Roglic to wear it for just a day following his time trial win on Saturday.
🔻Bis repetita for Mads Pedersen and Lidl-Trek! A stunning team effort in the streets of Vlorë, and once again, a perfect delivery from the Dane🔻Ancora loro! Mads Pedersen e la Lidl-Trek colpiscono di nuovo! Lavoro di squadra impeccabile tra le strade di Valona e un'altra… pic.twitter.com/qUHuxa1jXL
— Giro d'Italia (@giroditalia) May 11, 2025
Denmark's Lidl-Trek ace Pedersen edged out New Zealander Corbin Strong by just half a wheel at the end of the hilly 160km trek around the Albanian coastal city of Vlore to put himself back in pink, now just nine seconds ahead of Roglic thanks to the 10-second winning time bonus he picked up.
After Jay Vine had crashed on Friday and Luke Plapp in the time trial on Saturday, there were no further calamities for the 14-strong Australian contingent, but Plapp looked to be still feeling the effects of his spill as he trekked home nearly six-and-a-half minutes off the pace.
But Michael Storer, the Tudor Pro team leader who's the best hope for Australian success, was in sprightly mood in the mountains, shooting off briefly for one attack, and finished among the main bunch to still lie ninth overall, 36 seconds behind as the race prepares to move to the Italian mainland after its Albanian adventure.
And it was an adventure.
On Sunday, Pedersen's charge to victory was nearly disrupted when a dog sped across the road with just a couple of kilometres remaining as the peloton began to hit top speed.
Earlier it had been a few goats who scampered across a road with riders having to swerve to avoid them. New Zealand cyclist Dion Smith almost ended in a ditch, noting with a laugh: "First time for a goat for me ... Luckily I stayed up."
🏁 41 KM🇮🇹 @lorenzfortunato and 🇪🇸 @PelloBilbao1990 have joined the last remaining rider from the breakaway, 🇦🇺 @ChrisHamo_ #GirodItalia pic.twitter.com/VmiZoh7Qe6
— Giro d'Italia (@giroditalia) May 11, 2025
Among the Australians, Chris Hamilton (Team Picnic PostNL) climbed strongly in an early breakaway and came home safely in the main bunch, as did 2022 winner Jai Hindley (Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe), who leaves Albania only 48 seconds down in 15th overall.
Vine, third in the time trial, again looked to be well recovered from opening day crash as he finished among the main peloton.
"Wow, to have two stage victories already and now back in the pink, that's exactly what we wanted today," Pedersen said.
"Everyone from the team did a super amazing job on the climb and before. And then it was about controlling as far as we could."
The race now makes the short transfer across the Adriatic to Puglia, where the race will resume on Tuesday after a rest day with a mostly flat 189km route from Alberobello to Lecce and a probable sprint finish, where Aussie Kaden Groves will be hoping to feature.