Marcel Kittel (Etixx-QuickStep) continued his huge dominance at the Giro d’Italia as he again made it look easy when he crushed the opposition in the bunch sprint on the third stage of the race. After another splendid lead-out from his teammates, he barely had to push the pedals to easily distance Elia Viviani (Sky) and Giacomo Nizzolo (Trek) and make it two in a row. With the win, he also took the maglia rosa on the eve of the first rest day.

 

We have gathered several reactions.

 

Marcel Kittel: Of course I am surprised to win with such a big margin

The opening week-end of the Giro d'Italia was owned by Marcel Kittel, who began his campaign with a top 5 in the Apeldoorn time trial, before going on to win both road stages which took place in the Netherlands. It was a fantastic display of strength not only from the 27-year-old, but also from the whole team, as Gianluca Brambilla, David De La Cruz, Bob Jungels, Fabio Sabatini, Pieter Serry, Matteo Trentin, Carlos Verona and Lukasz Wisniowski brought their valuable contribution to the successes Etixx – Quick-Step has enjoyed in Nijmegen and Arnhem.

 

Unlike yesterday's stage, the one on Sunday was more nervous, because of the narrow roads and the strong crosswinds, which at one point led to an important split in the pack. Despite a gap that sat at half a minute, it was all back together for the final 50 kilometers, when the sprinters' teams went after the day's escape, which included Julen Amezqueta (Willier-Southeast), Giacomo Berlato (Nippo-Vini Fantini), Maarten Tjallingii (LottoNL-Jumbo) and Johan Van Zyl (Dimension Data).

 

From that group, Van Zyl gave it a go inside the final 12 kilometers and opened a substantial gap of one minute, which prompted an incredible response from Bob Jungels, as the Luxembourg champion took the front of the bunch and rode full gas to close that margin. In the final two kilometers, Matteo Trentin and Fabio Sabatini led out Marcel Kittel, who nabbed another commanding victory, leaving everyone else behind with 200 meters to go, thus allowing himself enough time to celebrate win number 13 in Grand Tours and his first ever maglia rosa.

 

"Maybe today's stage looked easy on the roadbook, but it wasn't. There were small roads and crosswinds, so the peloton was very nervous. Everyone tried to stay in the best position and it was a real fight out there. Many teams were reluctant to help us, so we had to push hard in order to reel in the break, and this only shows how super strong we are. The team was unbelievable, went full gas at the end to close the gap on the last rider in the breakaway, and I must thank them. I am very happy for the way things worked out today", said Marcel Kittel immediately after the stage.

 

“I’m very happy and at first I didn’t realise I’d also taken pink. I’m super proud of this amazing team. The boys worked so hard to bring the break back. I think we had the team of the day. It’s great to win a second stage. Now we’ve got some work to defend the pink jersey when we get to Italy but it’s the best thing that could happen to us.

 

"I have a great team and two super strong pilots in Matteo Trentin and Fabio Sabatini. They did a great job to put me in position, while the other guys kept us out of the wind all day. Without all of them, the win would not be possible.

 

”It was a tough day even though it was all flat on the stage profile. But it was very nervous. We controlled the race to win. The train was set up at the right time. Matteo Trentin did a very good job, he is a great teammate and gives me confidence with his experience.

 

"I’m very happy with this second stage win and also very proud of what we have achieved as a team. Matteo Trentin and Fabio Sabatini led me out and the rest of the team kept me out of the wind earlier on. On paper it maybe looked like an easy stage but in reality it wasn’t. It was quite dangerous because of the wind, and there was always a fight. The wind split the peloton but I had good legs and a super strong team. When they brought me to the right position, I was very confident.

 

“This is my second time winning two stages in a row at the Giro d’Italia but in Ireland in 2014 I didn’t get to wear the pink jersey. This time I’ll have it after the rest day and I want to finally win a stage in Italy as well.

 

" Of course I am surprised that the gap between me and the other sprinters is so big, but it also makes me proud. I have made every effort to be here in top form at the start. I feel very good and that's why I'm so strong. But there are still opportunities for other sprinters as well.

 

Kittel, just the fifth German rider (and the first in ten years) to wear the pink jersey, also made an analysis of the opening week-end, while underlining the hard work of the Etixx – Quick-Step riders: "I started here with a focus on doing a good time trial and the result I got on Saturday gave me even more confidence for what was to follow. I won both road stages, but I wouldn't have done it without my teammates, who were fantastic in these past days; there really isn't more that I could have asked them.

 

”It's a real honour to wear the maglia rosa for the first time in my career, it's a special feeling and I will enjoy every moment of having it.

 

"I was very happy to wear the red jersey on Sunday morning. But I still wanted to change color and I am very happy. It's great to wear the pink jersey. I don’t think I will have the opportunity to wear it many times. This is a great moment for me and my career.

 

"My track record in this race is good. At the last Giro, I was very good on the early stages, it's the same now. Now I can rest and enjoy the victory with my teammates, to focus for the next stage.

 

 “My plan for the Giro is to take the race goal by goal. My first goal was to do well in the time trial. My second goal was to win two sprint stages. Now I’ll fly to Italy with the pink jersey, it’s a great honour. I’m proud of what I’ve achieved in these first three days.

 

”As a sprinter I want to be the fastest. I’ve managed to be the one because of the great support of my team and the excellent condition I have. The number of spectators who have attended the event and the way I’ve won these two sprints make my Dutch experience of the Giro a very enjoyable one”

 

“I wanted to start out strongly focused on the time trial and then get good results in the first two stages, and now I fly to Italy with the pink jersey in my suitcase. We will fight our way through the rest of the Giro to see what more we can achieve.

 

“If it’s possible I will try to defend the jersey but not at all costs. For now I’m not going to sacrifice everything to do so, but it would be nice, for sure.

 

“They [the Tour and the Giro] are totally different races, particular how riders can feel about racing in them , and the way I got the jersey here was not as direct as then. There was a bit of a deviation which also makes it very special.”

 

“We’ve worked well as a team and also I am in really good shape, that’s another reason for being so quick. If I compare this to Ireland, it’s different, and hard to judge now, because my memories form the Giro 2014 are both good and bad.

 

“I got sick in Ireland and couldn’t start to race in Italy, and now I’m sitting here in pink and with two stage wins already. The way we've won the sprints here is the icing on the cake. It’s a great way to round off this part of the Giro d’Italia and a unique one, too.

 

“The Worlds is my goal for the end of the season and I want to go there as a sprinter with the German team. But I’m not going to start that discussion now about whether I’ll be leader or not, because they are still half a year away and the selection will be made in the summer. The only thing I can do for now is provide good reasons why I should be included in the team."

 

Matteo Trentin added:

 

“It went perfectly for us today. All the team worked, including the climbers, who did the early work, even on the flat. Then in the finale we took over I think me and Fabio Sabatini did our part, finishing off the work of the team.

 

“Now we’ve got to win a stage in Italy, where Marcel has never won. It’s never easy in the south of Italy because the roads are never flat even if the maps look flat. It’s been a great start to the Giro d’Italia so far, with the early stage relatively easy. I think it’s going to be a great Giro going forward from here when we get to Italy.

 

Pieter Serry said:

 

“It’s a wonder start to the race for us and it’s great to have the pink jersey too. But we were strong and we deserve it It’s great to win for Marcel too, he’s a real leader.”

 

Patrick Lefevere blasts sprint teams for lack of cooperation at the Giro d’Italia

"What I don’t understand is the other teams," Etixx-QuickStep manager Patrick Lefevere told Cyclingnew.

 

"No one wants to work, playing poker, and they risked losing the stage today. For us it was enough to be second or third but of course we wanted to win. There are a lot of sprinters but nobody works. You don’t get rewarded if you don’t work.

 

"You can have a flat tyre in the last kilometre, someone can make you crash. Even if you think you only have a 10 per cent chance, why don’t you go for it?"

 

"We’re in a situation where everything that happens now, that’s a bonus. I’ll go home and on Tuesday and see on the TV how all the other teams work for us."

 

Elia Viviani: I was fully focused on getting onto Kittel’s wheel

Elia Viviani powered to a strong second place as stage three of the Giro d'Italia came down to a bunch sprint.

 

The Italian bounced back well after disappointment on Saturday's sprint opener, positioning himself perfectly on the wheel of Marcel Kittel heading into the final kilometre in Arnhem.

 

Fighting for position around the long final left-hander, the Italian had to edge through a narrow gap just as Kittel (Etixx - Quick-Step) launched his sprint.

 

With daylight opening up there was no stopping the German, who sealed back to back stage wins, collecting 10 bonus seconds to elevate himself into the pink leader's jersey. Giacomo Nizzolo (Trek-Segafredo) rounded out the podium places with third.

 

Second yields an important points haul for Viviani in the red jersey standings, while there was also good news for Mikel Landa who came through a nervy stage and into the first rest day without issues.

 

The Spaniard was protected by his team-mates throughout the 190km test as warm conditions greeted the peloton for the final stage in Gelderland.

 

After the stage Viviani talked TeamSky.com through the tactics of the day, explaining: "The focus of today was to take the wheel of Kittel in the sprint and I really zeroed in on that. In the last 10km it was a real battle with a few sprinters to be in that position. Finally I was on the wheel, but Kittel was impossible to beat today. He is the strongest sprinter at the moment. Second place for today is a good result.

 

"All the team worked well and I was able to move up to the front each time without any problems. There were crashes but we were safe all day. It was a real Dutch stage like you'd expect with these roads. Now we head back to Italy and Mikel is feeling good. He's not lost a lot of time in the time trial so I think we're in a good position now. We can start the second part of the Giro.

 

"We know we can improve. After three weeks without racing I should get better day by day. We want to do the best we can on the flat stages - stage five is the next one. Stage seven is another one so I will focus on those stages, take as many points as we can and try to win."

Giacomo Nizzolo: I could have been much closer to Kittel

In Sunday's third stage Trek focused early. Three teammates lined in front of Giacomo Nizzolo at the front of the peloton with still 30 kilometers to race - there would be no repeat of yesterday's stage two when Nizzolo missed out on the final sprint from poor positioning in the final kilometers.

 

When the sprint played out, Nizzolo was situated in the front, fighting for Marcel Kittel's (Etixx-Quick Step) wheel.

 

Despite flawless work by the team, the German is simply in the stratosphere above in the sprints. Kittel sprinted across the line over a bike length ahead of Elia Viviani (Sky) and Nizzolo to take his second straight win and with it the esteemed maglia rosa.

 

The fight behind was for the prime real estate behind his wheel. All was playing to Nizzolo's tune until Kittel launched and the riders ahead shifted, closing a door on Nizzolo. It cost Nizzolo valuable meters to find open space again, but he managed to skirt out of the mess and sprint to third.

 

"First of all, I have to say a big thank you to the team, who did a great job," Nizzolo said, heaping praise on his mates. "Today they took the situation into their hands with 28-30kms to go, always keeping me covered, and put me in good position for the sprint.

 

"At the moment, I was starting my sprint someone came and blocked my way. I had to go around them, and then try to go again for the line. Of course, I lost a little bit, and without this, I could have been much closer. But probably with this Kittel, it is really hard to win. The feeling with my legs is really good, so we keep the confidence.

 

"I had a good feeling. Today we have partially made up for the stage yesterday. I lost a second at 200 meters, I touched a Katusha rider, and so I was not able to express myself better . I think for the victory there was nothing to do but could get a better position.

 

"I knew I was good. And the result of yesterday did not make me happy. Today we changed approach, we hope to improve ourselves in Italy."

 

The windy conditions during the 190-kilometer stage from Nijmegen to Arnhem helped keep the four-man breakaway in check as a nervous peloton fighting for the front resulted in an increase in pace.

 

"The wind always puts stress in the bunch, and then the GC riders want to stay safe in the front," explained Nizzolo. "So every time there's a little bit of wind the speed always goes higher, and that was the case today. It definitely made it harder."

 

The team's leader for the overall classification Ryder Hesjedal was attentive in the cross-wind sections, appearing at the front of the peloton numerous times in the last part of the race. He finished safely in 76th place.

 

Stage three ended an electrical, sunshine-filled three days in Gelderland (Netherlands) in front of thousands of passionate Dutch fans. Tomorrow the entire Giro entourage travels to Italy for the start of stage four, Tuesday.

 

Unsuccessful Lotto Soudal attempt to split the field at the Giro d’Italia

With 70 kilometres to go, Lotto Soudal tried to create echelons, but the conditions weren’t favourable enough. In the end, André Greipel sprinted to fourth place.

 

”German cycling on Top with 2 stage wins by @marcelkittel and pink jersey...congrats! Special thanks to @Sean_Bieke and Bak [for] saving my chances,” he tweeted after the stage.

 

"There was a lot more race today so it was much more difficult,” Maxime Monfort said. “We tried twice to create echelons but it was not very successful. On the local circuit, it was really nervous and there were a lot of crashes. It was a bit chaotic with the team but we still managed to get Andre to the frnt. For my part, I had a good day. Tomorrow, we will already travel to Italy and already have the first rest day. Tuesday will be a more difficult stage than we had this weekend. "

 

Consistent Aleksandr Porsev in the top 5 in Giro d’Italia sprint

A second road stage resulted in another group sprint with Team KATUSHA’s Aleksandr Porsev once again reading the race correctly and putting himself in position for a good result. Sunday’s stage 3 saw him move up a notch from yesterday’s result, this time taking fifth place behind repeat winner Marcel Kittel.

 

”It was a good stage for me. I felt really good the whole day. We knew it would be another opportunity for sprinters, so I was motivated for today. The team worked very well and I had full support during the entire day. In the final, Slava Kuznetsov helped me a lot to get a better position before the sprint. So in the final I tried to be in a good place, but after the corner I lost few positions, and I was forced to start a bit earlier, around 350 meters to go. I did my best until the finish line and finished 5th. My form is good and I hope to improve day by day,” said team sprinter Aleksandr Porsev.

 

Team KATUSHA step up on the podium today, getting a prize as the best team of yesterday’s second stage of the race.

 

Fast ’snail’ nearly denies the sprinters in the Giro d’Italia

Team Dimension Data for Qhubeka also had representation in the move once again and today it was in the form of South African Johann van Zyl.

 

Attention was now focused on the stage result and everybody was once again expecting a sprint finish. With 20km to go, the 4 leaders had 2'13" on the peloton and there was a slight sense of belief that the quartet could make it to the line. A crash in the peloton did not help the cause of main bunch in their efforts to chase down the leaders and Van Zyl still had something left in the tank to give.

 

The South African attacked his 3 breakaway counterparts with 12km to go and with the peloton just 45" behind. He was able to open the gap back up to 1 minute just briefly before Etixx-Quickstep and the other sprinters teams really started to ramp up the pace in the peloton. Van Zyl had 34" with 5km to go and although @VanSnail is his social media handle and team nickname, he was certainly travelling a lot faster than a Snail's pace.

 

Unfortunatley, after a brave and courageous effort, Van Zyl was caught with 1.8km to go and the sprinters would have their day. The African Team had birthday boy, Kristian Sbaragli, in the thick of the action once again. As Kittel sprinted to the stage victory and also into the overall pink leader’s jersey, the Italian had another solid ride to cross the line in 6th place for the African Team.

 

Johann van Zyl  said:
 

“It was a long day. For the first half of the race it was more or less a headwind so we had to time our effort smartly. After the feedzone we started riding harder and harder. With a tailwind and 6-minute lead we knew we could get quite far if we rode smart but the guys were saving energy for the mountain sprint so they weren't really committing.

 

”Once we got onto the local laps we rode as hard as we could and I attacked them with about 12km to go. I don't know if the guys just didn't want to commit anymore or if they were just tired but I knew I had to go now. I went as hard as I could and I ended up being 1 or 2 kilometers short, next time.”

 

Head of Performance Rolf Aldag added:
 

“We had the perfect game plan today. Johann was committed, he put his hand up this morning in the meeting and said he wanted to give it a shot. He knew it was going to be super difficult with Kittel chasing the seconds, they weren't going to give up the stage for free, but he wanted to try. His solo attack was really nice to see, there was absolutely a chance that he was going to make it but the race was just 1 kilometer too long for us today.

 

”The really good thing is the guys are just so committed and they are really trying, you can't expect more than that and you could also see Johann's talent. He is still young, it is just the 2nd stage of the Giro d'Italia and he doesn't save anything, he was just flat out and that is really nice to see.”

 

King of the mountains Maarten Tjallingii: I wanted this so badly

Maarten Tjallingii grabbed the mountain jersey during the third stage of the Giro d’Italia. The experienced rider of Team LottoNL-Jumbo was part of the breakaway for the second time this weekend and won the mountain sprint on the Posbank. Marcel Kittel (Etixx - Quick Step) won the stage and grabbed the overall lead. Moreno Hofland finished seventh. Primoz Roglic crashed in the final part of the stage and lost almost eight minutes.

 

What Tjallingii failed to do on Saturday, he did today. He won the mountain sprint on the Posbank and grabbed the lead in the mountain classification.

 

“I gave it all to win that sprint,” he said, wearing the blue jersey. “The crowd encouraged me. The people were screaming so loud that I didn’t feel my legs anymore. I wanted this so badly. I was focussed on this jersey. After the top of the Posbank, I exploded. I was barely able to keep on pedalling.

 

“I wanted to do something in the Netherlands before the real climbs begin in Italy and it worked out, even if I had to fight for it and suffer.

 

“Talking about my breakaway yesterday, I said this morning it was once in a lifetime but it became twice in a lifetime. And the atmosphere along the road was even better today than yesterday. This is my home crowd. I live in Arnhem and we passed 200 metres away from my house. To have the Giro d’Italia here in Gelderland is a gift for me.

 

“I knew there was a possibility to take the King of the Mountains jersey if I made the breakaway again. The legs were a bit sore from yesterday but my morale was extremely high. I’m glad I’ll wear the blue jersey in Italy.

 

“You can see how the crowd love to ride bikes too. They love a nice ride in the Netherlands but we have to be thankful for the Italian weather too.”

 

The crowd impressed the Dutch WorldTour team.

 

“I saw all the signs of support,” Sports Director Addy Engels said. “It was wonderful. Maarten rewarded himself for these two beautiful days. This mountain jersey is fantastic for him.”

 

Primoz Roglic crashes out of GC contention in the Giro d’Italia 

Tjallingii’s win was overshadowed partly by Primoz Roglic’s crash in the final part of the stage. The Slovenian, who was second overall at the start, was involved in a big crash on the beginning of the final local lap together with Martijn Keizer.

 

“His crash is a real setback,” Engels continued. “We weren’t counting on him in the general classification this Giro, but to lose those aspirations due to a crash is very annoying.”

 

After Roglic’s crash, Team LottoNL-Jumbo must think about other targets.

 

“It immediately became clear that he wouldn’t be able to come back so we had to move on,” Engels added. “We just kept Steven Kruijswijk in front and Moreno got another chance to go for the bunch sprint. It’s good that he finished seventh. He delivered a strong final 200 metres, but had to come from too far behind.”

 

On Monday, the peloton will fly to the south of Italy.

 

“These days were special,” Engels added. “They felt like three national holidays. Tomorrow won’t feel like a rest day. We have to wake up early, so that’s always tiresome. Tuesday, will be too hard for the sprinters. That stage might suit Enrico Battaglin and we must keep Steven in the best possible position another time.”

 

Bad day for Arnaud Demare and Alexandre Geniez at the Giro d'Italia

While the first road stage in the Giro line went well on Saturday, Sunday was a bad day for the FDJ team even if Arnaud Démare have demonstrated good legs by taking eighth.

 

10 kilometers from the finish, five of his teammates crashed. All day the Clover group stayed together and were ready to do the lead-out when the crash happened inthe left side of the road.

 

Olivier Le Gac dismounted without falling but Arnaud Courteille, Ignas Konovalovas, Marc Sarreau, Alexandre Geniez and Murilo Fischer alle went down. The latter was the most affected with pain in his wrist, hand and buttocks, without his participation being compromised.

 

The peloton was already going very fast and Alexandre Geniez had to chase hard. With the help of only Mickael Delage, he crossed the finish line with a time loss of 1'37 ''.

 

In the sprint, Arnaud Démare was alone and it was difficult to fight on equal terms. His last 100 meters allowed him to pass several riders and he has again demonstrated that he has very good legs.

 

"Everybody was very nervous," he said. "The wind, the roads, the spectacors. We were afraid of splits and there were many crahes. I saw five of my teammates come down. I was all right. Alexandre lost time. It was a good start yesterday but everything fell a bit apart."

 

"We will have to get at 7:10 am to take off at 9 am and travel for 2 hours and 40 minutes," said sports director Frédéric Guesdon regarding the rest day. "It will help to digest what happened. Tonight Alexandre Geniez took a blow to the morale with this split but the Giro is long and the time loss will give him greater freedom the next few days. Maybe he can join a breakaway and get back in the GC. 3 weeks is a long time, and a Grand Tour without a difficult day is rare."

 

First ever grand tour for Rick Zabel in Giro d’Italia bunch sprint

It was a day of mixed fortunes for BMC Racing Team on Stage 3 of the Giro d’Italia, which saw Rick Zabel battle to ninth place in the bunch sprint, and Silvan Dillier crash out with around 12 kilometers to go.

 

Zabel’s result is his first top ten finish in a Grand Tour, and comes after a solid performance in the Stage 2 sprint.

 

“I felt good today and I feel strong in general,” he said. “It’s my first top ten in a Grand Tour so I’m really happy about it. My goal coming into the Giro d’Italia was to be in the top ten on a stage and I’ve already achieved it on the second road stage so I’m really happy with this result. I hope the rest of the Giro d’Italia will continue like this.

 

“There was a big crash with 12 kilometers to go and I was one of the last riders to come around. I stayed behind and I waited a bit and then in the last five kilometers Manuel Quinziato did a good job to bring me up to front. I know I am not as fast as Marcel Kittel and Andre Greipel but I’m still happy that I can be up there with the fastest guys.”

 

Max Sciandri, Sports Director, added:

 

“It’s obviously really disappointing to see Silvan crash out like that, both for him and the team. He was in good shape and was hoping to be a breakaway or two in the coming weeks.

 

“On the other hand it was good to see Rick up there in the sprint. Once you crack the top ten for the first time in a Grand Tour it’s easier to do it again so I hope he’ll continue to have the legs to contest the sprints.”

 

Silvan Dillier crashes out of the Giro d’Italia

Silvan Dillier sustained a fractured finger after crashing out of the Giro d’Italia in the last 12 kilometers of Stage 3.

 

He was forced to abandon the race after being involved in a multiple-rider crash as the peloton picked up the pace to chase down the last remaining breakaway rider.

 

BMC Racing Team physician, Dr. Giovanni Ruffini provided the following update on Dillier’s condition.

 

“We took Silvan to the hospital to undergo X-Rays on his right hand and arm which is the area that he landed on during the crash. X-Rays revealed a dislocated fracture of the first phalange of his second finger,” Dr Ruffini said.

 

“Silvan will return to Switzerland in the morning and undergo surgery to secure the fracture. At this stage we do not have a clear indication of when he will be able to resume training but he will most likely need ten or so days off. We will know more after his surgery.”

 

Dillier is extremely disappointed to have crashed out so early in the race.

 

“It’s obviously really disappointing to not only miss out on the chance to get a good result at the Giro d’Italia but also because this was important preparation for the Olympic Games. I hope to be back on the bike as soon as possible and be back in good form for GP du canton d'Agovie, which is my home race and a big goal for me,” Dillier said.

 

Sacha Modolo loses out in fight for Kittel’s wheel at the Giro d’Italia

Sacha Modolo who was 3rd in the first sprint of the Giro, wanted tothreaten the supremacy of Kittel and he was aware that he could rely on his team mate Ferrari to try to achieve this goal.

Ferrari piloted Modolo to the wheel of Kittel, however the battle was very intense and Modolo could not find the necessary space to start his sprint, so he had to give up his goals.

Mohoric was in a quite good position and, overtaking some riders in the very final meters, succeeded in obtaining a place in the top 10, crossing the line in 10th.

"The fight for being on Kittel's wheel was very intense and, in addition, the frenzy in the peloton was high because of the wind,” Modolo explained. “As usual, Ferrari was great as lead-out man for me, he succeeded in reaching the slipstream of Kittel, however when we were approaching the last kilometer we lost the position because of the fight for the position. 
 

”We recovered our place but when I tried to start my sprint 300m from the finish line, I was boxed in and I realized that my sprint was over.”

Because of the crashes which broke the bunch into several parts, Niemiec crossed the finish line with a delay of 1'37".

 

Spanish neo-professional enjoys dream start to his career in the Giro d’Italia

Southeast had Julen Amezqueta in the break and he was the virtual maglia rosa for much of the day.

 

"It was a day where you had to go on the attack. It was a really long break as it started from kilometer zero. I am happy to have been one of the protagonists today,” he said.

 

"This is amazing, I'm speechless. I'm happy for the whole stage and being in a setting like the Giro d'Italia.

 

“I never thought that I would get the maglia rosa.  We knew they would come back hard because these are the first days of the Giro and the sprinters have all forces left. It never hurts to try. We were caught but we were not so far from making it. We must continue along this line. Surely there will be more opportunities. We are here to show ourselves

 

"I think we failed to stay together because in the end, there was not much understanding. If we had been four together, we had been close because we were 1.15 ahead with 10km to go.

 

"I was not expecting this debut, to do a grand tour now. This first part of the year is a dream.

 

"I do not know what we will find in Italy but I have not seen something like this. It is somewhat exaggerated: there are people everywhere, the roads are painted. It is something I have never experienced before. The public in Holland is incredible.”

 

In the final sprint, Manuel Belletti ended in 11th place and Jakub Mareczko wasn’t able to sprint as he had to stop to avoid a crash in the last lap of the final circuit.

 

Caleb Ewan gains valuable experience in first bunch sprints at the Giro d’Italia

ORICA-GreenEDGE finished just outside the top ten on stage three of the Giro d’Italia today as 21-year-old Australian Caleb Ewan contested another crowded bunch sprint after a flat and windy 190kilometres.

 

Colombian Esteban Chaves finished safely in the bunch alongside all the other contenders for the general classification while Ewan yet again found his path to the line blocked with no space to open up the engines. Sam Bewley hit the deck in the early parts of the race but thankfully suffered no serious injury and was able to finish the stage.

 

Sport director Matt White was happy the team have made it through the three hectic opening days without incident and can look forward to tomorrow’s rest day.

 

“The team really did a good job going into the last kilometres,” said White. “Caleb (Ewan) was in a good position in the finale but just got boxed in and wasn’t able to find the room to open up his sprint.

 

“The difference between this race and most of the other races Caleb has competed in is the amount of world class sprinters there at the finish - there were eleven sprinters up there.

 

“The depth of the lead out trains completely changes the conditions and these last two stages will give Caleb lots of valuable experience for the future.

 

“We achieved our objective of not losing any time on our rivals and got Esteban (Chaves) to the finish in good shape and without any problems so we can look forward to a day off tomorrow and get back into the racing on Tuesday.”

 

Strong IAM performance unrewarded by Pelucchi in Giro d’Italia sprint

“We have been poorly rewarded for the hard work we did throughout the stage,” explained Kjell Carlström, one of the directeurs sportifs for IAM Cycling, along with Mario Chiesa, for this 99th Giro.  “In sharp contrast to the first stage, we reacted well to the goings-on, and remained attentive the entire stage.  We stayed clear of getting caught out by the echelons.  Then on the final circuit, we went to the front to ensure that Matteo Pellucchi was well positioned for the sprint.  Unfortunately, our leader was not able to prove his power in this mass gallop.”

 

Haussler, a key player in IAM Cycling’s process of placing Matteo Pelucchi, regretted the outcome of this second stage. 

 

“Everything is in place for us to succeed.  We really worked ideally together, as imagined before the stage began in the pre-stage briefing.  But these two initial sprint stages for the Giro have been odd.  They go in every direction, left, right, and then left again.  In the last kilometer, Matteo was not in a great place and had to produce too much effort beforehand, so that he couldn’t do it again to play for the win.”

 

Nicola Ruffoni: I did four sprints in the final 10km

 Thanks to Paolo Simion (11th yesterday), Bardiani took 14th place, the best result of the day, while Nicola Ruffoni (5th yesterday) placed 18th. The Italian sprinter had to slow down 10km from the finish due to a crash - Sonny Colbrelli was involved without consequences - and thanks to a strong effort and the support of his teammates he caught the peloton with 5km to go . Later Ruffoni & Co. started to get back to the head of the peloton. Mission accomplished at 1.5km to go but Ruffoni paid for the effort.

 

“I did four sprints in 10km to get back into a good position, unfortunately it was impossible to perform at my best. I have to thank my teammates for the amazing work they did to support me. On paper, stage five with the finish in Benevento could be another good chance. I’ll work for that,” said Ruffoni.

 

Tom Dumoulin: I had expected this scenario

During the chase, cross winds caused the field to split and echelons were formed, but Tom Dumoulin was safely in the first group with his teammates. It split again near the end of the first lap of the closing circuit course, but again he was in the lead group.

 

With 7 km to go Nikias Arndt and Bert De Backer hit the pavement, putting an end to hopes of another top finish in the bunch sprint for Arndt.

 

In the finale, Kittel once again demonstrated that he is at the height of his powers again and powered his way to the finish line with a clear gap. The bonus seconds he earned as winner moved him to first in GC, knocking Dumoulin down to second, at nine seconds. Chad Haga moved to ninth, 25 seconds down, while Tobias Ludvigsson retained the white jersey.

 

“I was expecting this scenario up front, so not a big surprise and doesn’t make a big difference to me,” Dumoulin said. “I have had two very nice days wearing the leader’s jersey in my home country. And if someone else has taken the jersey, then I would prefer that it would be Kittel instead of anyone else.

 

"Now I will be on the bus immediately and have a shower. The last few days I was only at the hotel at 8.30. But it was worth it you know.

 

“I would have liked to have been on the winner’s podium one more time for a Dutch crowd, but it wasn’t possible.

 

“It will be a bit easier now getting to the team bus straight away after the finishes and so on, a bit more relaxed, but even though I was sure Marcel was going to do very well in the bunch sprints, I thought at one point we might have kept the jersey.

 

“That was because at one point in the stage I couldn’t see Marcel anywhere and we thought he might have crashed. However, he came back into the group with his team-mates so that didn’t happen.

 

“If you have seen how strong Marcel was in the sprints up until now, there’s a very good chance he will be able to get over the climbs on those early stages, too, and keep in the lead.”

 

“We took control from the beginning on with QuickStep, four guys in front,” said coach Marc Reef. “The maximum time gap was nine and a half minutes, then it got easily back to six and a half. We kept it like that, then it easily dropped. Lotto Soudal tried to make an echelon and the peloton split briefly but came back again together. From that moment on it was really hectic.

 

“In the two local laps, we tried to stay in position, to stay calm. We survived the first big crash, then later we had Nikias and Burt on the floor, in the last lap. We decided to focus all on holding our position and hoping that Marcel would not be in the first three and that we would keep the jersey”

 

Astana and Vincenzo Nibali pleased with outcome of Dutch adventure

"There was more wind than yesterday,” said Astana’s Eros Capecchi,” and this has made the stage more tense. It was important to stay in the first positions to avoid crashing.

 

"In the final, I decided to sit up to save as much energy as possible for the upcoming days which are harder.

 

"After these first three Dutch stages, we are satisfied. The time trial went as expected, and in these two stages it was important to get to the finish without any major risks. We did it,” commented sport director Alexandr Shefer .

 

"The next three days should be quite easy, but in Italy there are no easy stages, we will have to be careful."

 

Rafal Majka pleased to get safely to Italy at the Giro d’Italia

With the flat parcours on offer, Tinkoff’s aim for the day was once again to keep out of trouble and look after team leader Rafal Majka, something the guys accomplished successfully.

 

Sport Director Tristan Hoffman explained how things panned out for the team after the finish.

 

“It was just another day to stay safe for us today and the boys did a good job. From the start they were well positioned and riding where they should be with Rafal, and then when the wind started to pick up Rafal was always in the front splits which was good to see. We’re looking forward to heading to Italy and for the climbs to come – I really think that Rafal is ready to fight now.”

 

Tinkoff didn’t get away completely unscathed as Hoffman explained.

 

“Jay McCarthy came down in a crash around 60km out but he was able to get back and rejoin the peloton quickly. Then Tosatto crashed on the finishing laps but also did no real damage so we made it through without any issues.”

 

Rafal Majka came over the line in 29th position, the first Tinkoff rider home.

 

“We will stay in Amsterdam this evening before flying tomorrow morning,” explained Hoffman. “The guys will then head out for a short spin after lunch to turn the legs over ahead of stage 4. I think Tuesday’s stage could prove quite interesting. I don’t expect big gaps, but it will be quite tricky with the short climbs and then a technical run-in to the finish where we will need to stay alert and well positioned. For now though we’re excited about returning to Italy and getting the next part of the Giro underway.”

 

Sick Movistar youngster does 70km time trial at the Giro d’Italia

The 2016 Giro d'Italia's journey through the Netherlands ended today for the Movistar Team with a sense of calmness as Alejandro Valverde got through it in perfect condition - the Spanish road race champion even staying within the best ten of the peloton with 600m to go, hobnobbing with the top sprinters, to avoid any splits. The Blues were also happy to see Andrey Amador back into third overall, behind back-to-back stage victor Kittel (EQS) and former race leader Dumoulin (TGA). But the biggest news, or maybe the biggest show of courage from today's development of things, was brought by Jasha Sütterlin for the entire 190km from Nijmegen to Arnhem.

 

The German youngster - debutant in Grand Tours - finished 13'32" back on the winner. Suffering from a stomach bug since last night, Sütterlin did not have breakfast, and his ability to eat almost any sort of food was completely restricted. With 70 kilometer to go, he was dropped. No chance was left for him to receive any help, other than neutral assistance. But he stayed in the race. He crossed the line and will travel to Catanzaro tomorrow with his team-mates, in the charter flights offered by race organisers RCS.

 

Sütterlin said: 

 

"Last night I got sick, with stomach problems. My only job for today's stage was making it with the peloton, but after 120km, some crosswinds formed and I got dropped. After that, I had to do some 70 kilometers behind them, completely alone. Even though I tried to bridge back, I couldn't make it back to the peloton. But I kept going, making all efforts possible to reach the finish, and I made it. I was completely empty, because I threw up everything in the toilet last night. I'm just so happy to have finished."

 

Carlos Betancur added: 

 

"Thank God, we got through these opening three stages in the best of possible ways and kept our leader Alejandro safe and sound. We're so excited to get back to Italy, because the terrain from Catanzaro suits us much more.

 

“Today's crashes? It's normal; the riders get a bit nervous on the first week of a Grand Tour, but it's true that there were too many of them. I do think it's normal, considering the nature of Dutch roads, and that's why we're so happy to travel to Italy tomorrow."

 

Jean-Christophe Peraud with no memory of crash after withdrawl from the Giro d’Italia

Jean-Christophe Peraud crashed violently at km 80. He was forced to abandon.

 

Ag2r doctor Eric Bouvat said:
 

"Jean-Christophe Peraud suffers from a cranial trauma, a facial trauma with loss of consciousness, various bruises and dermabrasion on upper and lower limbs.
 

”He underwent a brain and face scan in Zutpen Hospital that revealed no fracture and no intracranial lesion.
 

”I warmly thank the staff of the Giro’s medical department and of the Zupten Hospital for their professionalism and efficiency."

Jean-Christophe Peraud is out of the hospital and he will travel home in the next hours.

 

"Okay, I have regained consciousness so it's a good thing,” Peraud said. “Early in the hospital I remembered nothing. Our doctor (Eric Bouvat) told me that Patrick (Gretsch) had crashed in front of me. It have me some flashes of memory and I remember some moments including the slide in front of me. I have no memory of the shock and what happened in the ambulance. My ctash was not necessary, there was no reason to fall. It was windy, the peloton was nervous and that's why I rode in front.

 

“My first focus was my health, I'm not too banged up. It is a first loss of consciousness for me, I hope it will bethe last. I do not have any plans for the future.”

 

"I regret Jean-Christophe Peraud’s crash,” fellow leader Domenico Pozzovivo said. “Our goal was to fight together for the GC. Last year, I also crashed and abandone in stage 3. Then the team had a great reaction and kept on fighting. I am ready to take the lead and to fight for Jean-Christophe."
 
Domenico Pozzovivo finished 40th in a group of 94 riders. He is now 56th at 56 seconds from the lead. He was 88th this morning. Last year, he crashed and was forced to abandon in stage 3. 

 

"All day was tense with crosswind, sometimes very narrow places, very technical villages,” sports director Didier Jannel told L’Equipe.  “Regarding the fall itself, we tried to have a proper position and in a roundabout Patrick’s rear wheel slipped for no reason. JC was behind and his face hit the ground. We tried to ensure that he could continue but the race doctor said it was not possible and he had to go to an immediate check. He had difficulty speaking.

 

"There is disappointment because it meant a lot for him and for the team .But there is still much to do and the team will focus on Pozzo. He knows the course in Italy very well and our ambition is to put him in the top five of this Giro." 

 

Cannondale: We can travel to Italy with the box ticked

Six Cannondale riders, including Rigoberto Uran, Moreno Moser and Davide Formolo, finished on bunch time and Moser jumped up to fifth (from sixth) overall.

 

Road captain Simon Clarke reflects on the day: "Yesterday we rode well, but it wasn’t really that hard. Today we rode well, and it was hectic. I think the boys were really awesome today.

 

”Phase one already for us in the Giro. Rigo hasn’t crashed. He hasn’t lost anytime. We still have Moreno in sixth at the GC.

 

”We weren’t here in Holland to get results. We were just here not to lose the Giro. That’s a win for us, so I think we can leave Holland with the box ticked."

 

Ramunas Navarduaskas crashed.

 

"There was some possibility of side winds so everyone wanted to be in a good position,” he said. “It was so hectic with all the teams trying to be in the same place and there’s just not enough space. Sometimes someone touches a front wheel and the somebody crashes and this is what happens. I’m good. I’ll be OK."

 

Damiano Cunego looking for opportunities in the Giro d’Italia

“Giacomo Berlato is my roommate and so its great to see him having a great Giro. He’s been out front for two whole stages now,” Damiano Cunego said.

 

“It was a tricky stage as we expected in the Netherlands. The roads change from wide to narrow and back again, that makes it difficult and stressful for everyone. You can be in the right place, at the front and still crash at we saw with Peraud. It’s a pity for him but it’s all part of the Giro too.

 

“I’m going to look at the route book as we travel to Italy tomorrow and try to do something when I can, when the big teams give us a chance. I think there will be several chances but it won’t be easy.”