Giro d' Italia Day 3 - Grado to Valdobbiadene - Petacchi Wins Stage 3

Another beautiful day in Italy's Veneto region for Day 3 of the Giro d'Italia. Today's Giro stage at 200 km had the cyclist traveling from the picturesque adriatic town Grado to Valdobbiadene at the foothills of Italy's Alps. This stage traveled through the beautiful green country side and rolling soft hills on the way up to the base of the Italian Alps. Although the cyclists make their way up some hills today's race was mostly flat.

The green fields that lined today's Giro d'Italia were lush with vineyards where the famous grapes for prosecco are grown. The towns were full of people and the race route lined with people who love the action. And with 35km left, action si exactly what today's Giro d'Italia Stage 3 offered.

The action really heated up when the breakaway pack was reached with 35 km left in race setting up a finish through the streets of Valdobbiadene. With 25 km to go the Liquigas team did well protected its lead building a nice platform for its sprinters to finish the stage At about 16 km to go 16km the pack got very strung out on the gorgeous, hilly loop around Valdobbiadene that finished things up for the day.

With 10km to go Voeckler and Malacarne broke clear of the pack, taking a few others with them - and just behind the Peloton is brought grinding to a halt by a crash. With 9km Voeckler and the rest of the leading group can't work out where the others have gone - they can't believe their luck - but Ivan Basso and Petacchi aren't that far behind. With 5 km to go 10 riders are stacked up in the lead pack.

The last 3 km to go was a race of races with Bruseghin going for it and the pack following. Then with 1km to go Bruseghin went to early - Visconti charged, building himself a 100m lead with 1km left. But his legs gave up with less than .2 km left to go Petacchi comes through with a time of 4:45:27. Once again stage 3 of the Giro d'Italia did not disappoint.