Crash puts Marlen Reusser in trouble

Thanks to a strong recovery, however, she managed to catch up with the peloton again. She reached the finish line at the same time as the overall leader Anna van der Breggen, who had also crashed, and the other contenders for overall victory.

It was Reusser's second special finish in 24 hours. She had already lost contact with the leading group on the previous day due to a wind edge and had to invest a lot of energy in order not to lose any time to the competition.

The third-to-last stage was won by Célia Gery. After 159 kilometers in Salice Terme, the Frenchwoman, who is only 20 years old, prevailed in the sprint of a six-strong breakaway group, which was able to save its narrow lead over the approaching peloton to the finish.

Van der Breggen continues to lead the overall standings ahead of the final weekend with a one-minute advantage over her compatriot Demi Vollering. Reusser remains in 5th place, a good two minutes behind.

Saturday will see the highlight of this Tour of Italy with the queen stage and the dreaded climb to the Colle delle Finestre, including several gravel sections. Another mountain stage will conclude the race on Sunday.