A master class in sprinting at Giro di Sardegna

Bike racing is so back–and so is the drama. The third day of the Giro di Sardegna was definitely going to favour the sprinters–and it delivered. 168-km run from Cagliari to Tortolì didn’t have much in the way of elevation challenges, so it was a gruppo compatto in the finale. And Serbian Dušan Rajović won in perfect fashion–it was a lesson to anyone who likes to use their sprint.

Breakaway attempts

There were attempts to get clear, sure. An early move by Ignazio Cireddu and Ivan Taccone was good for TV time, but the young continental riders were kept on a tight leash.

Then there were only a couple of Cat 3 climbs–so the break was reeled in with 10 km to go.

Although there was a late solo bid from Thor Michielsen–the stage was set for a very, very tight sprint.
Polti Visit Malta and RedBull Rookies marshalled the front to set up their finishers, with Davide Donati hunting a second consecutive victory after Tuesday’s win.

The finale

In the long home straight, Donati launched first but was then overtaken in the final metres by Serbia’s Dušan Rajović of Solution Tech Nippo Rali, just in the nick of time. The Serb timed his acceleration to perfection and edged ahead by mere centimetres. It was a masterclass in sprinting. Just watch how he waits for the perfect moment to come by and take the dub by a narrow margin with a perfect bike throw.

PHOTO FINISH 📸

Dušan Rajović gets his wheel ahead of Davide Donati to win Stage 3 of the Giro di Sardegna 👏 pic.twitter.com/PIFK1i25OR

— Cycling on TNT Sports (@cyclingontnt) February 27, 2026

Behind them, Penalver and Zanoncello rounded out the podium places. The overall standings remain unchanged, with Nicolò Garibbo holding the leader’s jersey heading into the decisive mountain stage toward Nuoro.

9 months later, Mara Roldan races again

There’s lots of pro racing going on all over Europe now. After season openers in UAE and Australia, the WorldTour and ProTour are in full flight. On, Saturday, Opening Weekend begins, with Omloop Het Nieuwsblad on Saturday. On Sunday, there’s Kuurne Brussels Kuurnes. On Saturday, one Canadian will be racing in the men’s race and seven in the women’s. On Sunday, there’s no women’s race, however there will be two Canadians in the men’s.