Orica Greenedge's Michael Matthews has won the third stage of the Giro D'Italia.
Michael Matthews was in the pink jersey for this third stage of 136kms from Rapallo to Sestri Levante.
On a stage of medium climbs, twenty five riders in Branislau Samoilau (CCC Sprandi), birthday boy Adam Hansen (Lotto-Soudal), Tom Boonen (Etixx-QuickStep), Rubén Fernandez (Movistar), Cedric Pineau (FDJ), Nicola Boem (Bardiani-CSF), Maurilo Fischer (FDJ), Darwin Atapuma (BMC), Maciej Paterski (CCC Sprandi), Diego Ulissi (Lampre-Merida), Jesus Herrada (Movistar), Marcus Burghardt (BMC), Davide Villella (Cannondale), Manuele Boaro (Tinkoff-Saxo), Philippe Gilbert (BMC), Esteban Chaves (Orica-GreenEdge), Bert-Jan Lindeman (LottoNL-Jumbo), Edoardo Zardini (Bardiani-CSF), Chad Haga (Giant-Alpecin), Davide Malacarne (Astana), Axel Domont (AG2R-La Mondiale), Luca Chirico (Bardiani-CSF), Pavel Kochetkov (Katusha), Salvatore Puccio (Team Sky) and Gianfranco Zilioni (Androni-Giocattoli) formed the first break.
Zardini took the points on the first climb which was followed by a couple of attacks before this group came back together with the new group comprising of Simon Clarke (Orica-GreenEdge), Esteban Chaves (Orica-GreenEdge), Manuele Boaro (Tinkoff-Saxo), Marcus Burghardt (BMC), Philippe Gilbert (BMC), Francesco Gavazzi (Bardiani-CSF), Salvatore Puccio (Team Sky), Maciej Paterski (CCC Sprandi), Ruben Fernandez (Movistar), Silvan Dillier (BMC), Edoardo Zardini (Bardiani-CSF), Zilioli, Jesus Herrada (Movistar), Maurillo Fischer (FDJ), Branislau Samoilau (CCC Sprandi), Adam Hansen (Lotto-Soudal), Pavel Kochetkov (Katusha), Cedric Pineau (FDJ), Luca Chirico (Bardiani-CSF), Nicola Boem (Bardiani-CSF), Davide Villella (Cannondale-Garmin).
Philippe Gilbert won both the intermediate sprints ahead of Clarke and Diller on a day where the average speed was only around 37kmh..
This group of twenty one were fifty seconds clear of the pink jersey group with fifty kilometres left.
Onto the Barbageleta category two climb and in front of big crowds, Pavel Kochetkov of Katusha went away and took the maximum points.
The Katusha rider was fifteen seconds clear on the descent as further back up the road, Pozzovivo of AG2R crashed heavily and after receiving roadside treatment was taken to hospital, breathing on his own.
With under twenty kilometres to go, Kochetkov was still nineteen seconds clear and 1.01 ahead of the peloton before he was joined by Hansen, Paterski and Clarke ten kilometres later.
The peloton closed in as the race went through Chavari and past some big crowds.
Kochettkov and Clarke led until the peloton caught them with 3.2kms to go.
Under the flam rouge and Cannondale-Garmin had a rider on the front but the sprint was on and it was the race leader Michael Matthews of Orican Green Edge who extends his lead in the race after winning in a time of 3.33.53 ahead of Feline and Gilbert, followed by Lagutin, Tiralongo, Paolini, Gavazzi, Battaglin, Luis Leon Sanchez and Monsalve.
Matthews, who leads Simon Clarke by six seconds and Simon Gerrans by ten seconds said: "It has been a dream come true so far. Stage 3 was another big goal for us. We reconned it last week and we pulled it off. I tried to save my legs on the final climb and I saved my energy for the sprint."