It's time for the sprinters to shine after two demanding days already in Italy, but those aspiring for victory on Stage 3 first have to negotiate their way along the 2024 Tour de France's longest stage, covering 230.8 km on the way from Piacenza to Turin. There are three categorised climbs for the riders to manage en route to Turin, though they should not cause too many issues for the sprinters’ teams, whilst the final will take place on wide, flat roads as the teams work to ensure that their lead out trains are well placed for the finish.
Also on the third stage of the 111th Grande Boucle the peloton will pay a passing tribute to Fausto Coppi as they ride through Tortone, where il campionissimo died. By that point the sprinters’ domestiques will already be hard at work, their focus on ensuring the anticipated sprint finale.
2023 green jersey winner Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin – Deceuninck) will aim to make an early statement, whilst the man who won the maillot vert the year before, Wout van Aert (Team Visma | Lease a Bike), should not be ruled out. If Mark Cavendish has the legs - and the cards fall in his favour - after his difficult start to the Tour in Stage 1, the Astana Qazaqstan rider could make history in Turin. Cavendish, winner of the green jersey in 2011 and 2021, is on a quest to clinch his 35th Tour stage victory, which would make him the most prolific winner in the history of the race outright, putting him in front of the man he currently shares that honour with, the great Eddy Merckx.
The likes of 2020 green jersey winner Sam Bennett (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale Team), Belgian national champion Arnaud De Lie (Lotto Dstny), Dutchman Fabio Jakobsen (Team dsm-firmenich PostNL), Eritrean star Biniam Girmay (Intermarché - Wanty) and the powerful Frenchman Arnaud Demare (Arkéa - B&B Hotels) could also challenge for the win.
Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates) will feel fairly secure in the Yellow Jersey on Stage 3 on Monday, with the GC battle likely to heat up again on Stage 4 on the Galibier. For now, all eyes on Turin.
