Australian Michael Matthews beat Denmark’s Mads Pedersen to win stage three of the Giro d’Italia.

Pedersen finished second, with Kadem Groves, of Australia, in third.

“They [Team Jayco Alula] rode all day today and fully committed for me to win the stage,” said Matthews.

“It’s been such a rollercoaster this year, so already on stage three to have a stage win is more than I could dream of.

“I heard Pedersen had been dropped on the climb so I hoped he would be a little bit pinned for the sprint.

“I knew I needed to go early and get the jump on them and it worked out.”

Belgium’s Remco Evenepoel, who won stage one’s individual time trial, is top of the general classification standings by 32 seconds from Portugal’s Joao Almeida and 44 seconds in front of Slovenia’s Primoz Roglic.

Britain’s Geraint Thomas is fifth, 58 seconds adrift, while compatriot Tao Geoghegan Hart is seventh and one minute two seconds behind Evenepoel.

The fourth stage is a 175km ride from Venosa to Lago Laceno.

Stage three

1. Michael Matthews (Aus/Team Jayco-Alula) 5hrs 1min 41secs

2. Mads Pedersen (Den/Trek-Segafredo) same time

3. Kaden Groves (Aus/Alpecin-Deceuninck)

4. Vincenzo Albanese (Ita/EOLO-Kometa Cycling Team)

5. Stefano Oldani (Ita/Alpecin-Deceuninck)

6. Sven Erik Bystrom (Nor/Intermarche-Circus-Wanty)

7. Primoz Roglic (Slo/Jumbo-Visma)

8 Simone Velasco (Ita/Astana Qazaqstan Team)

9 Toms Skujins (Lat/Trek-Segafredo)

10. Andrea Vendrame (Ita/AG2R Citroen Team)

General classification

1. Remco Evenepoel (Bel/Soudal-Quick Step) 10hrs 18mins 7secs

2. Joao Almeida (Por/UAE Team Emirates) +32secs

3. Primoz Roglic (Slo/Jumbo-Visma) +44secs

4. Stefan Kung (Sui/Groupama-FDJ) +46secs

5. Geraint Thomas (GB/Ineos Grenadiers) +58secs

6. Aleksandr Vlasov (Neutral/Bora-Hansgrohe) same time

7. Tao Geoghegan Hart (GB/Ineos Grenadiers) +1min 2secs

8. Michael Matthews (Aus/Team Jayco Alula) same time

9. Jay Vine (Aus/UAE Team Emirates) +1min 8secs

10. Mads Pedersen (Den/Trek-Segafredo) +1min18secs