After the win in yesterday’s team time trial, Gazprom-Rusvelo again proved that they have cards to play in the Giro d’Italia as Sergey Firsanov claimed an impressive solo win in the hilly second stage of the Settimana Coppi e Bartali. Having attacked on the penultimate passage of Monte Tiffi, he held off a small chase group with a brave solo move which allowed him to take both the win and the overall lead. Mauro Finetto (Uniero) beat Gianni Moscon (Sky) in the uphill sprint for second.

We have gathered some reactions.

Sergey Firsanov: When I have good legs, I always go on the attack

”Cycling was my first love. But since my family was poor, the only chance to have a bike was to enroll in a cycling school. And so I did,” Firsanov told Tuttobiciweb. "I knew the course, the hard climbs and the technical descents. It was suitable for me.

"To attack you have to have good legs. When I have them, I always attack." 

Bernal crashed on the final descent when the pair was together.

"He was in front of me, but as he went down too fast, I left a bit of space. A right decision, otherwise I would have fallen too. But I believe in fate: I was lucky, but fortune favors the strongest,” Firsanov said. 

His favorite rider was Cadel Evans: "Sometimes you looked at him and it seemed to be over. He suffered but he never gave up and responded." 

Mauro Finetto mistakenly celebrates in Coppi e Bartali

"I thought that there was only Pirazzi in front and then Bernal: I was focused on the descent and on the finish. But it would not change much: it would have been difficult to reach Firsanov. However, it was a good day. And now I target the final victory,” Finetto told Turrobiciweb.

"At the finish I celebrated because in the confusion of the final,we had not realized that there was a rider on the attack. To find out that I was second and not the first was not very pleasant, but never mind. The important thing is that the condition is good. Tomorrow's stage is for sprinters so there will not be big changes in GC, but on Sunday we will go all out to achieve maximum results. To be able to take a win for Unieuro Wilier Treviso is only a matter of time.”

Finetto was disappointed not to get a new contract with Southeast after the 2015 season.

"I have a clear conscience, I have always done my duty, I will not go into the details as that would be depressing,” said.

“I will go to the Tour of Morocco and the Giro dell’Appenninno , then probably the Giro del Trentino." 

Sky neo-pro confirms huge potential with third place in Coppi e Bartali

Gianni Moscon battled to his first podium finish for Team Sky on the tough second stage at Settimana Coppi e Bartali.

The young Italian worked hard in the peloton on the final finishing circuits and hit out with a small group to catch lone attacker Sergey Firsanov (Gazprom RusVelo) in the closing stages.

But the Russian fought back to extend his slim lead and hung on to take the stage win in Sogliano al Rubicone, from new race leader Mauro Finetto (Unieuro Wilier) and Moscon. Sebastian Henao finished eighth on an encouraging day for the team in Italy.

Speaking to TeamSky.com back at the bus Sport Director Kurt Arvesen was delighted with how the team controlled the race.

He said: "It's a good day for the whole team, all the guys did a fantastic job, particularly when you consider a lot of them are still working back from injury.

"We rode exactly to the plan, took it on in the final laps, and Danny van Poppel did a brilliant job too. He was driving the group when 100 riders were dropped and to be a sprinter and to survive that long is very impressive. He is travelling back now and preparing for Gent-Wevelgem on Sunday.

"The rest of the guys did their turns on the front and left Gianni, Mikel [Landa] and Sebastian for the remainder of the race. They had a really good go, and it's great to see young guys like Alex [Peters], Gianni and Sebastian battling for the stage win.

"Firsanov was super strong. We did everything to close down the gap but just couldn't quite do it.

"Tomorrow the stage is pan flat and we will have another go with Gianni."

"If we had worked together, we would have caught Firsanov. But there were those who saved themselves and those who worked,” Moscon told Tuttobiciweb.

“For the GC we focused on Sebastian Henao because Mikel Landa is in his first race and this is where he has to find the legs. Then, along the way, I had freedom . But today's result will not change the team's strategies.

“Here, a year ago, with the national team, I had other legs and shape. This time I felt comfortable, the team is happy with me, I am comfortable in the team. It is like a school to be with many champions and share a room with them.

“Then I will do Flanders, Roubaix and Trentino. No grand tours, but Yorkshire and California.”

Colombian climbing talent denied big win in Coppi e Bartali

"Egan Bernal has the potential to become a great ride. Write down his name.”
 

That’s a phrase that Andron manager Gianni Savio has repeated for some time. And today, on the climb on the circuit, Egan Bernal demonstrated his capabilities. 
 

Sergey Firsanov and Stefano Pirazzi had already achieved a distinct advantage on the group of the best when the nineteen year old Colombian rider bridged the gap an dropped Pirazzi.

 
They increased the advantage, but on the subsequent descent a crash and the resulting mechanical have destroyed Bernal’s dreams of glory.