In a wild bunch sprint, the Soudal Quick-Step rider came in just ahead of Jonathan Milan and Biniam Girmay.
With three kilometers remaining, race leader Tadej Pogacar—who had won stage two on Sunday—and Geraint Thomas of Great Britain started an assault.
However, Merlier was the fastest and won his second stage win at the Giro, adding to his stage two victory in 2021. The two were caught before the finish line.
Merlier remarked, “That was the hardest victory so far.”
“It was an extremely difficult final; I was always in the wind because I couldn’t find a decent slipstream in the last kilometer. I heard ‘you need to go’ in the last 300 meters.
