Australian rider Michael Matthews has won the third stage of the Giro d'Italia, his first stage win at the race in eight years.
Matthews won an uphill sprint among a select group of riders after a punishing 213-kilometre slog through the rain from Vasto to Melfi in Italy's south.
The 32-year-old Team Jayco-AlUla rider opened up his sprint early to outpace former world champion Mads Pedersen (Trek-Segafredo).
Australian sprinter Kaden Groves (Alpecin-Deceuninck), who was accused of causing a dramatic pile-up on stage 2, picked up consecutive third-place finishes.
It was Matthews's first stage win at the Giro d'Italia since 2015 and first win of any kind since he won stage 14 of last year's Tour de France.
"Honestly, I'm just speechless," Matthews said after the race.
"Today it was such a team effort, that win … that was for the boys.
"We rode all day today and they were fully committed for me to win the stage."
Matthews's season had been previously defined by a COVID-19 diagnosis and a heavy crash at the Tour of Flanders, and he was a late call-up to ride at this year's Giro, a race he has only contested three times prior to this season.
"What I've been through these last few months … It's been such a rollercoaster this year," Matthews, who has now won ten stages in total at cycling's three grand tours, said.
"I came here to this Giro to have fun, to enjoy riding my bike.
"Now we're already on stage 3 with a stage win. It's more than I could ever dream of."
Remco Evenepoel, who after stage 2 prophesied that Matthews would win this stage, retained the pink leader's jersey and gained time over his rivals by claiming bonus seconds at an intermediate sprint.
The world champion had made headlines after Sunday's stage by pointing the finger of blame at Groves for his part in a crash 4 kilometres from the finish.
Groves addressed the "unfortunate" incident prior to stage 3 getting underway, admitting some culpability in an interview with Cycling Pro Net.
"I did indeed push [Davide] Ballerini with my elbow as I was getting forced into the barrier," Groves said.
"I was not going to give up that wheel, and unfortunately that meant that he fell over a wheel and … [there was] the chain reaction of events causing a crash behind.
"Nothing against Remco or Quick Step, the events are true but I want to make it clear that I kept my hands on the handlebars at all times and that I hope everyone involved in the crash is OK."
All 176 riders who started stage 2 were on the start line at stage 3, including Team DSM rider Martijn Tusveld, whose bike was broken in half in the crash.
Evenepoel leads by 32 seconds from João Almeida, with Primož Roglič third, 44 seconds behind.
Matthews is up to eighth place overall, one minute and eight seconds down, with Jay Vine ninth, a further six seconds back.
