Lorena Wiebes sprinted to an almost uncontested victory on stage three of the Giro d'Italia Women, after a big crash devastated the leading group and upturned many riders' victory hopes.
British rider Josie Nelson (Picnic PostNL) was second, with Wiebes's SD Worx-Protime team-mate third.
Maglia rosa Anna Henderson (Lidl-Trek) was one of those who went down in the crash – but it was inside the final 3km, so they were all awarded the same time as Wiebes and Henderson will keep her pink jersey.
The run-in to Trento had looked as though it would be a straightforward field sprint, until it began to rain heavily in the final six kilometres.
The inevitably slippery roads saw a major crash right at the front of the bunch, as they attempted to negotiate a roundabout with 2.5km to go, holding many riders up.
"We were very lucky that we were in front when the crash happened," said Wiebes, who collected her 106th career win today. "We were still with three of us, and Barbara also did a great job to bring us to the last corner. I was a bit scared on the last corner - I felt my wheels also slipping a bit but at the end I was able to save it.
She added: "I would have preferred to go to the finish with a complete peloton but that's part of racing and you can expect this with the rain."
With all riders finishing on the same time, the top 10 on GC remains unchanged after today's stage, with Henderson still leading overall and in the points classification too.
However, the Brit has rescinded her QoM jersey, with an attack by Usoa Ostolaza (Laboral Kutxa-Fundación Euskadi) over the day's single early climb netting the Spaniard the lead.
Germany's Antonia Niedermaier (Canyon-SRAM zondacrypto) continues to lead the young rider classification.
How it happened
The 122km outing from Vezza d'Oglio to Trento in the north of Italy didn't exactly follow textbook route design for a bike race, with one sizeable climb straight out of the blocks – the Passo del Tonale – followed by, essentially, 60km of downhill and 45km of flat.
With what looked like a nailed-on bunch sprint on the cards – eventually – there was little movement in the bunch that ever looked like upsetting that prediction.
Ostolaza was one of the few riders, Wiebes aside, to enjoy a productive day, attacking near the top of the climb and inserting herself in the QoM lead before quickly returning to the fold.
With 73km to go Nora Jenčušová (Be Pink-Imatra-Bongioanni) escaped the bunch, presumably with sponsor airtime in mind, and was allowed to dangle out front for some 50km before the sprinters' teams made the catch.
In the end it was the weather that played one of the biggest roles in the race, though not in the way anyone would have wanted. Whether it ultimately altered the final outcome is dubious though, after all, Wiebes was the favourite anyway.
Results
Giro d'Italia Women 2025, stage 3: Vezza d'Oglio > Trento, 122km
1. Lorena Wiebes (Ned) SD Worx-Protime, in 2:59:07
2. Josie Nelson (Gbr) Picnic PostNL
3. Lotte Kopecky (Bel) SD Worx-Protime
4. Elisa Longo Borghini (Ita) UAE Team ADQ
5. Babette van der Wolf (Ned) EF Education-Oatly
6. Christina Schweinberger (Aut) Fenix-Deceuninck
7. Barbara Guarischi (Ita) SD Worx-Protime
8. Eleonora Camilla Gasparrini (Ita) UAE Team ADQ
9. Marianna Vos (Ned) Visma-Lease a Bike
10. Marthe Truyen (Bel) Fenix-Deceuninck, all at same time
General Classification after stage three
1. Anna Henderson (GBr) Lidl-Trek, in 5:41:10
2. Marlen Reusser (Sui) Movistar, +13s
3. Elisa Longo Borghini (Ita) UAE Team ADQ, +31s
4. Anna van der Breggen (Ned) SD Worx-Protime, +35s
5. Monica Trinca Colonel (Ita) Liv AlUla Jayco, +56s
6. Shirin van Anrooij (Ned) Lidl-Trek, +56s
7. Katrine Aalerud (Nor) Uno-X Mobility, +59s
8. Antonia Niedermaier (Ger) Canyon-SRAM zondacrypto, +1:03
9. Juliette Labous (Fra) FDJ-SUEZ, +1:06
10. Dilyxine Miermont (Fra) CERATIZIT Pro Cycling, +1:10
