Elisa Balsamo tightened her control of the Giro d’Italia Women 2026 on stage 3, winning again in Buja after a hilly finale that briefly threatened to pull the race away from the sprinters. The Lidl-Trek rider came through late to beat Lily Williams and Femke Gerritse, adding another stage victory, more bonus seconds and another layer of authority to an opening phase that has gone almost perfectly for her.
After being promoted to victory on stage 1 following Lorena Wiebes’ disqualification, Balsamo backed that up with sprint wins in Caorle and Buja. More importantly for the race situation, she now carries the maglia rosa into the stage 4 uphill time trial to Nevegal with a useful buffer over the rest of the field.
Stage 3 was never expected to be as simple as the opening sprint days. The 156km route from Bibione to Buja began flat, then became much more awkward with the climbs around Moruzzo and Montenars. The finale created splits, encouraged late moves and put several fast finishers under pressure, but Balsamo survived the selection and still had the sprint to finish it off.
Our full report on Giro d’Italia Women 2026 stage 3 covers how the race unfolded, while the full race shape is broken down in our Giro d’Italia Women 2026 route guide.
Giro d’Italia Women 2026 general classification after stage 3
Balsamo now leads the general classification by 24 seconds over Lily Williams, who moved up to second overall after finishing second on the stage and collecting a six-second time bonus. Elisa Longo Borghini sits third at 30 seconds, level on time with a large group of major GC names who came through the day safely.
That is the key point from stage 3. Balsamo extended her advantage, Williams was rewarded for her sprint, and most of the expected GC contenders avoided major damage before the first serious climbing test of the race.
The top 10 overall after stage 3 is:
- Elisa Balsamo, Lidl-Trek, 10:59:24
- Lily Williams, Human Powered Health, +24 seconds
- Elisa Longo Borghini, UAE Team ADQ, +30 seconds
- Margaux Vigié, Team Visma | Lease a Bike, +30 seconds
- Célia Gery, FDJ United-Suez, +30 seconds
- Anna van der Breggen, Team SD Worx-Protime, +30 seconds
- Niamh Fisher-Black, Lidl-Trek, +30 seconds
- Silvia Persico, UAE Team ADQ, +30 seconds
- Demi Vollering, FDJ United-Suez, +30 seconds
- Lauren Dickson, FDJ United-Suez, +30 seconds
The headline is Balsamo’s advantage, but the more important GC picture may be behind her. Longo Borghini, Van der Breggen, Fisher-Black, Persico and Vollering all remain within 30 seconds, with stage 4 now set to create the first genuine climbing gaps of the Giro.
For Balsamo, the position is excellent, even if the next stage is unlikely to suit her as naturally. She has maximised the opening three days, taken three official stage wins, built a clear points lead and given herself enough of a margin to start the Nevegal time trial with the maglia rosa still firmly on her shoulders.
Photo Credit: RCSBalsamo keeps the maglia rosa
Balsamo remains in pink after another perfectly executed finish. Lidl-Trek had to manage a much more complicated day than the opening two stages, with a breakaway, late climbs, attacks from the GC group and Sigrid Ytterhus Haugset almost stealing the stage inside the final kilometre.
The fact Balsamo still won says plenty about her condition. This was not a clean, flat lead-out sprint. It was a reduced-group finish after a selective run-in, and she still had the composure to wait, come through late and finish the job.
The question now becomes how long she can hold the jersey. Stage 4 from Belluno to Nevegal is a 12.7km uphill individual time trial, and that is a very different test. Balsamo has earned the right to defend pink, but the terrain now moves sharply towards riders such as Vollering, Longo Borghini, Van der Breggen, Fisher-Black and Marlen Reusser.
Our Giro d’Italia Women 2026 stage 4 preview looks in more detail at how the Nevegal time trial could reshape the overall standings.
Photo Credit: RCSGiro d’Italia Women 2026 points classification after stage 3
Balsamo also leads the points classification, and this is now becoming a major storyline in its own right. She has 105 points after three stages, more than double Lara Gillespie’s total in second.
The top five in the points classification after stage 3 is:
- Elisa Balsamo, Lidl-Trek, 105 points
- Lara Gillespie, UAE Team ADQ, 50 points
- Chiara Consonni, Canyon SRAM zondacrypto, 36 points
- Lily Williams, Human Powered Health, 27 points
- Charlotte Kool, Fenix-Premier Tech, 24 points
This is already a commanding advantage. Balsamo has scored heavily across all three days, and stage 3 was especially important because it proved she can still take points when the route is more selective. Gillespie and Consonni lost ground in Buja, while Williams’ second place lifted her into the top four.
The red jersey contest may still open up later in the race if Balsamo begins to focus more on surviving the mountains, but for now she has complete control of the classification.
Photo Credit: RCSGiro d’Italia Women 2026 mountains classification after stage 3
Anna van der Breggen leads the mountains classification after stage 3, taking the blue jersey before the race heads into its first major climbing test. She has 7 points, with Marlen Reusser second on 4 points and Alison Jackson third on countback ahead of Eleonora La Bella, both on 3 points.
The top five in the mountains classification after stage 3 is:
- Anna van der Breggen, Team SD Worx-Protime, 7 points
- Marlen Reusser, Movistar, 4 points
- Alison Jackson, St Michel-Preference Home-Auber93, 3 points
- Eleonora La Bella, Aromitalia Vaiano, 3 points
- Demi Vollering, FDJ United-Suez, 2 points
The blue jersey is still very young as a contest, but the shape is already interesting. Van der Breggen and Reusser both sit high in the mountains standings, and both are relevant to the broader GC picture. The stage 4 time trial is not a normal road-stage climbing battle, but the Giro’s mountains classification should become more active again as the race moves towards stage 5 and then the final weekend.
Photo Credit: RCSGiro d’Italia Women 2026 young rider classification after stage 3
Célia Gery leads the young rider classification after stage 3, sitting fifth overall and level on time with several senior GC contenders at 30 seconds behind Balsamo. She remains one of the most interesting riders in the race heading into the Nevegal time trial.
The leading young riders remain tightly packed, with Viktória Chladonová, Rosita Reijnhout, Isabella Holmgren and Lore De Schepper all still close enough for stage 4 to change the white jersey picture quickly.
The top five in the young rider classification after stage 3 is:
- Célia Gery, FDJ United-Suez, 10:59:54
- Viktória Chladonová, Team Visma | Lease a Bike, same time
- Rosita Reijnhout, Team Visma | Lease a Bike, same time
- Isabella Holmgren, Lidl-Trek, same time
- Lore De Schepper, AG Insurance-Soudal, same time
Stage 4 should begin to split that group properly. Gery has the advantage for now, but the uphill time trial is exactly the kind of stage where Holmgren, De Schepper, Chladonová or Reijnhout could move the classification around.
What stage 3 means for the GC battle
Stage 3 did two things at once. It strengthened Balsamo’s lead, but it also kept the major GC contenders close enough that the real race is still waiting to begin.
Longo Borghini, Van der Breggen, Fisher-Black, Persico and Vollering are all within 30 seconds. Reusser is also at 30 seconds, even if she sits outside the top 10 on countback. Antonia Niedermaier, Monica Trinca Colonel, Urška Žigart, Barbara Malcotti, Rosita Reijnhout and Isabella Holmgren also came through the day in the main group, which means the uphill time trial now has a large cluster of serious riders ready to move.
The biggest losses were among the purer sprinters. Lara Gillespie and Chiara Consonni both dropped out of the immediate GC picture after losing time on the hilly finale, while Charlotte Kool also slipped further back. That was always the risk on the Buja stage. It was not mountainous enough to create a full GC battle, but it was hard enough to expose riders who were already close to their limit after two sprint stages.
For Balsamo, stage 3 was another major success. For the GC favourites, it was a holding day. Stage 4 should be very different.
Giro d’Italia Women 2026 stage 3 result
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