No major difficulties for the riders in the early kilometers of stage 3 are straightforward, reaching Bozen/Bolzano and Klausen/Chiusa after crossing the Eisacktal/Valle Isarco. After the Intermediate Sprint in Velthurns/Velturno, a short descent takes the group to Brixen/Bressanone, home of the 2021 TotA start, and into the valley floor of the Pustertal/Val Pusteria.

From Vintl/Vandoies, the stage gets into its core with the first KOM of the day in Terenten/Terento, 6,1 km at an 8% average gradient. The beautiful descent Bruneck/Brunico rewards the riders of the effort, interrupted in the central part by the Pfalzen/Falzes plateau.

From there, the riders get into the Gadertal/Val Badia and eventually turn towards St. Vigil in Enneberg/San Vigilio di Marebbe to approach the Furkelpass/Passo Furcia (7,9 Km at a 7,6% average gradient) with the last 4 km constantly around 10%. From the KOM, there will be 24 km left to the finish line, including 10 on the way down towards the Pustertal/Val Pusteria road, and the last 10 on a slight ascent towards the finish line in Niederdorf/Villabassa.