Giro d’Italia: Stage 3

Quickstep blow the race apart in the crosswinds for their rider Fernando Gaviria to go on to win stage 3

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Giro d’Italia: Stage 3

Giro d’Italia: Gaviria sprints to victory and maglia rosa

Team Press Release

Fernando Gaviria made history at the Giro d’Italia, at the end of a day in which Quick-Step proved its tactical masterclass, shattering the bunch in the heavy crosswinds with ten kilometers remaining, breaking away and opening a gap which turned out to be insurmountable for the chasers until the end of the stage.

Photo: Tim De Waele

After the three-man escape which got to stay in the spotlight for most of the day was reabsorbed by the nervous pack, six of our riders put the hammer down on the beautiful Sardinian coast and quick-step-ed the peloton on the run-in to Cagliari, dropping all bar four riders.

Laurens De Plus, Fernando Gaviria, Bob Jungels, Iljo Keisse, Davide Martinelli and Maximiliano Richeze were the ones who lit up the stage, after Eros Capecchi, Dries Devenyns and Pieter Serry had previously set the pace at the head of the pack, going into the last 20 kilometers. The sextet ensured numerical advantage for Quick-Step Floors in the front group, who continued to power ahead and hold onto the 15-20 second advantage over the bunch, which included all the other sprinters and GC contenders.

Luxembourg Champion and TT powerhouse Bob Jungels – the 2016 Giro d’Italia white jersey – led the group as they went under the flamme rouge, his all-out effort laying the foundations for the victory as they drew closer to the finish line. Then, Maximiliano Richeze stepped in and countered an attack of Nathan Pass (Dimension Data), before Fernando Gaviria emerged from his wheel and sprinted to his first Grand Tour victory, capitalizing at the end of the day on the superb work of his teammates, who showed their vast classics experience in the way they rode the stage’s final kilometers.

“It goes without saying this is the best day of my career! To win a stage at the Giro and take the leader’s jersey is a dream come true. My teammates did a wonderful job today and I want to say a big thanks for how they rode, protecting me throughout the stage and then setting me up for this victory”, said Fernando, only the fourth Colombian rider to lead the Giro d’Italia.

Photo: Tim De Waele

Quick-Step Floors’ sprinter, who had a peak power of 1468W in the sprint, hitting a maximum speed of 61.9km/h, continued: “What made things even more special was to have my family at the finish and celebrate this success with them. I worked hard to get here, I made many sacrifices, trained day after day and remained focused all the time, and to get such a reward is incredible. Tonight, I will go to sleep with the pink jersey on my shoulders.”

The 22-year-old, who nabbed Quick-Step Floors’ 60th win in a Grand Tour, also leads the best young rider classification; in addition to these, our riders’ fantastic collective effort in Sunday’s tough crosswinds took the squad to the top of the team standings, which means Quick-Step Floors now control three of the race’s classifications.

“We were aware the wind could play a huge role today and as soon as we took that corner and had the coast on our right side, the team rode full gas. From that point on, it was a team time trial until the finish, with the guys driving a hard tempo without ever looking back. Our move was a textbook one and I couldn’t be prouder of the entire team, who rode selflessly. First two days weren’t the easiest for us, but we bounced back in style today and we are very happy”, concluded Gaviria, the youngest ever Colombian rider to triumph in a Grand Tour stage and at the same time lead a three-week race, after Quick-Step Floors’ 25th victory of the season.
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Giacomo Nizzolo (Trek Segafredo): “I was in the front group with Quick-Step, and of course they did great teamwork,” said Nizzolo. “They did their best to win, and I tried to do the best I could do against them. Of course, with the condition I have, I paid for the full gas effort for the last 10 kilometers. Tactically, I think I was perfect, and the legs were just missing that little bit again so I couldn’t ask more today,” added Nizzolo. “I am not frustrated. As I said, this was probably the best result I could have. I work every day to do my best and today the best was the third place.”

Nathan Haas (Dimension Data): “The team did an excellent job today. I knew it would be completely exposed after that roundabout with 12 km to go so I thought I’d better be at the front in case anybody jumped – and that’s what I did. In the final, I went early, hoping that the cobblestones would play in my favor. Sometimes when you get a gap on the cobbles, no one can come around but unfortunately, they came around this time. However, there are still a few stages to come, which suit me even better than this one. I’m definitely not done fighting”.

Rudi Selig (Bora – Hansgrohe): “I had goose bumps on the last final kilometers. I really wanted to get on the podium today so I fought very hard. In the end, Gaviria was too fast but I am more than happy with my second place.”

André Greipel (Lotto Soudal): “The stage started well for us. The early break consisted of only four riders and after a while only three riders were left in front. We took control of the race with our team and didn’t give the break much advantage. We did the work all on our own.”

“We knew that with twelve kilometres to go, there was a danger of echelons being created because we got in an open field with crosswinds. I was riding in the first echelon when I could just dodge the rider in front of me and at that moment my foot came loose from the pedal. That’s how I got dropped from the first echelon. That is such a pity and I am disappointed. It was the perfect situation for me. Because Quick-Step Floors had so many riders in that group I could have kept calm in the back. A second stage win wouldn’t have been easy, considering the riders in that group, but I could have maintained the pink jersey. But as a sportsman you have to be able to accept these things. I definitely enjoyed wearing the maglia rosa and the atmosphere on Sardinia. Only the end could have been better.”

Geraint Thomas (Team Sky): After the stage Thomas explained: “That final was really nervous. There were a few cross-winds in the last 15km. I was well positioned until a roundabout – you get knocked and the next thing you know you lose 20 positions. I was just too far back. I tried to make a big effort to get across and almost made it. I didn’t quite get there but it could have been a lot worse, with only Bob Jungels up there on GC”.

“It was only 10 seconds in the end, and come the mountains 10 seconds is nothing. But it would still be good just for the morale to have been there. I certainly had the legs to be there. It was just a bit of a mishap going into the roundabout. But that’s racing – especially in the cross-winds. There are a lot of nerves and everyone is still quite fresh.”

Kanstantsin Siutsou (Bahrain Merida Pro) “Everybody knows that we’re here only for our captain” says Kanstantsin Siustou after the finish “Too bad that he couldn’t stay with me when the group split. Of course I would have preferred that he was with me. After the roundabout I found the fourth position. It was not easy to stay with such a strong sprinters”.

Stage 3
1. Fernando GAVIRIA Quick-Step Floors 3:26:33
2. Rüdiger SELIG Bora – Hansgrohe
3. Giacomo NIZZOLO Trek – Segafredo
4. Nathan HAAS Dimension Data
5. Maximiliano RICHEZE Quick-Step Floors
6. Kanstantsin SIUTSOU Bahrain Merida Pro 0:03
7. Bob JUNGELS Quick-Step Floors
8. Caleb EWAN ORICA-Scott 0:13
9. Sacha MODOLO UAE Team Emirates
10. André GREIPEL Lotto Soudal

19. Adam YATES ORICA-Scott
22. Steven KRUIJSWIJK Team LottoNL-Jumbo
25. Geraint THOMAS Team Sky
28. Vincenzo NIBALI Bahrain Merida Pro Cycling Team
29. Bauke MOLLEMA Trek – Segafredo
31. Mikel LANDA Team Sky
33. Tom DUMOULIN Team Sunweb
34. Thibaut PINOT FDJ
35. Nairo QUINTANA Movistar Team
37. Ilnur ZAKARIN Team Katusha – Alpecin
45. Tejay VAN GARDEREN BMC Racing Team
188. Hugh CARTHY Cannondale-Drapac Pro Cycling Team @ 5.22

Overall
1. Fernando GAVIRIA Quick-Step Floors
2. André GREIPEL Lotto Soudal 0:09
3. Lukas PÖSTLBERGER Bora – Hansgrohe 0:13
4. Bob JUNGELS Quick-Step Floors
5. Kanstantsin SIUTSOU Bahrain Merida
6. Caleb EWAN ORICA-Scott 0:17
7. Roberto FERRARI UAE Team Emirates
8. Ryan GIBBONS Dimension Data 0:23
9. Enrico BATTAGLIN Team LottoNL-Jumbo
10. Sacha MODOLO UAE Team Emirates

11. Geraint THOMAS Team Sky @ 23
12. Vincenzo NIBALI Bahrain Merida
13. Adam YATES ORICA-Scott
17. Nairo QUINTANA Movistar Team
19. Tom DUMOULIN Team Sunweb
23. Mikel LANDA Team Sky
26. Bauke MOLLEMA Trek – Segafredo
27. Tejay VAN GARDEREN BMC Racing Team
28. Thibaut PINOT, FDJ
36. Steven KRUIJSWIJK Team LottoNL-Jumbo 0:36
43. Ilnur ZAKARIN Team Katusha – Alpecin 0:43
96. Pierre ROLLAND Cannondale-Drapac 2.54
167. Hugh CARTHY Cannondale-Drapac
193. Marcin BIALOBLOCKI CCC Sprandi 19:14

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