Peter Sagan (Cannondale) beat Mark Cavendish (OmegaPharma-QuickStep) and Andre Greipel (Lotto-Belisol) in a sprint to claim the third stage of Tirreno-Adriatico today. The victory was the result of a careful plan to tire out the faster finishers before the final gallop to the line.
Up until today Peter Sagan had won 39 races in a number of different way, many of them in sprints. With the exception of his victory in Metz in stage 6 of last year's Tour de France, he has, however, struggled to beat Mark Cavendish and Andre Greipel in bunch sprints. With his victory in Tirreno-Adriatico today he finally did just that.
Being aware of his superior climbing abilities compared to his sprint rivals Sagan used his strong Cannondale team and the hilly finale to today's stage to set up his win. One of the team's two GC contenders Damiano Caruso set a furious tempo on the climb inside the final 20 km of the race to tire out his rivals, and in the end this proved to be the key to victory.
"We made the stage hard to wear out the sprinters," Sagan explained. "My teammates were great on the final climb and the contenders paid for their efforts on the final straight. I beat the best sprinters of the peloton and this is a great satisfaction."
With a victory under his belt Sagan is now able to approach the rest of the race in a relaxed manner. With a mountaintop finish tomorrow Sagan wants to pay back his team's efforts in today's stage by providing his service to the team's two GC riders.
“I’m really happy for this first World Tour win," Sagan said. "This allows the team to relax in the coming stages. My goal for the ‘Tirreno’ is reached, now we’ll see day by day. Tomorrow is a good day for (Moreno, ed.) Moser and Caruso while I hope to have a little bit of rest. If they are able to stay with the leaders, I’m ready to help them for the GC battle in next days.”
Finally beating Cavendish and looking towards Sanremo
One aspect of the stage result was a special pleasure for Sagan: he finally beat Cavendish in a sprint.
“I’m happy. It’s the first time I’ve beaten Mark in my career, I think,” Sagan said. "In the final 500m Mark had no more lead-out men. I was on Greipel’s wheel, Mark went shoulder to shoulder with me, but he was sporting and dropped in behind. It was good for me, anyway, not for him.”
Sagan has not hinted the fact that Tirreno-Adriatico most of all serves as preparation for his first big season goal, Milan-Sanremo, which takes place in just over week. He is pleased with his condition, but knows that victory on the biggest scene will be difficult to come by.
“There’s more than a week to Sanremo, and now my goal is to finish the Tirreno in the best way," Sagan said. "I feel good, but the Sanremo is a strange race. With my lack of experience it’s difficult to win a monument, but I hope I get there in good condition and I hope to steal one. If not Milan-Sanremo, then I’ll try to win Wevelgem or Flanders or Amstel…”
Sagan was fourth in last year's edition of La Classicisima when he won the group sprint behind winner Simon Gerrans, Fabian Cancellara and then teammate Vincenzo Nibali.
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