French cyclist Paul Menge won today's third stage of the Giro d'Italia, taking his second stage victory at this year's Giro, while Uruguayan Guillermo Silva maintained his lead in the general classification ahead of the race's return to Italy.
In a tight finish, Menes was half a lap faster than Italian Jonathan Milan, while Dutchman Dylan Groenewegen took third place with a minimal gap.
The French rider, a member of the Quick-Step team, also celebrated in the first stage of the race on Friday.
"I dreamed about this and the goal was to attack the stage win again. The team did a great job. Honestly, I wasn't sure I won, so I raised my hand first and then immediately lowered it, but in the end I really won and I'm very happy," said Manje.
The third stage was run on a 175-kilometer section from Plovdiv to Sofia, and Manje won with a time of 4:09,42.
It was the last stage in Bulgaria before a day off on Monday, after which the race moves to Italy. The fourth stage on Tuesday runs from Catanzaro to Cosenza in southern Italy, covering 138 kilometers.
Guillermo has a four-second lead over German Florian Stork, while Italian mountain stage specialist Giulio Ciccone is third in the overall standings.
This year's 109th edition of the Giro d'Italia ends on May 31st in Rome.
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