With no overall winner candidate in the race, Team Sky have a unusual approach to this year's Giro d'Italia and with Ben Swift, Edvald Boasson Hagen, Bernhard Eisel, Chris Sutton and Salvatore Puccio, they have brought a lot of fast riders to set up Swift in the sprints. Today the team proved its strength in the hectic finale of the third stage of the race when Edvald Boasson Hagen came back from a late-race crash to deliver Swift perfectly to second.

Ben Swift produced a storming sprint on stage three of the Giro d’Italia but was denied victory by the tightest of margins as Marcel Kittel made it two wins from two in Dublin.

Swift was thrust into contention after some sterling work in the closing stages from Salvatore Puccio, Bernhard Eisel and Chris Sutton, and once Edvald Boasson Hagen had led him through a tight final chicane, the Yorkshireman flew down the finishing straight but was robbed just inches from the line.

Kittel managed to pass the 26 year old with a last-gasp lunge for the line, and after sealing his victory the Giant-Shimano rider collapsed to the floor in exhaustion.

Swift’s second-placed finish was his joint-highest in a Grand Tour campaign, and his second top-10 spot in the space of two days. Kittel meanwhile, consolidated his grip on the points jersey with his second success in the space of 24 hours.

Although Michael Matthews finished outside the top 10, the Orica-GreenEdge rider extended his lead at the top of the overall standings and now sits eight seconds ahead of Alessandro Petacchi (Omega Pharma - Quick-Step), with Daniel Oss (BMC Racing) two seconds further adrift in third.

“It couldn’t have been any closer really. I’m not sure what you have to do to beat Marcel Kittel. He wins even when he gives you a head start," Swift told Sky Sports. “I’m disappointed to come so close and not get the win, especially with it being in Dublin after the reception that we have had in Northern Ireland and Ireland.

“But, having said that, to come second behind Kittel, you have to be happy with that. I was just hoping to get in the mix in a sprint finish, so to be challenging for the win was a good outcome.

“My form is good. I was really happy with my sprint today, and yesterday also. I finished seventh yesterday, but once I got up to speed I made up a lot of ground, which was promising.

“It gives me a lot of confidence for the sprints later in the race. Tuesday is going to be a pure bunch sprint. It’s going to be quite fast and technical and we will get stuck in there and I am looking forward to it.”

The fact Boasson Hagen played such a pivotal role in Swift’s lead out was a testament to the Norwegian's resilience as he had fallen in a large crash less than 40km from home.

Immediately after the stage he was able to update us on his condition before talking through a hectic finale which also saw him take sixth place on the stage.

“I wasn’t hurt so much in the crash and managed to get back in time to do the lead out because there was a headwind, which slowed up the bunch.

“At first I experienced a little pain in my shoulder but that soon wore off and it didn’t affect me in the finish. I managed to get a good line through that s-bend in the last 300m and both me and Swifty went full gas from there.

“Swifty got second place, which was good, and it’s a pity he couldn’t quite hang on for the win. As a team, we produced a really good lead out, so everyone’s happy, and I’m sure Swifty will be challenging for victories again soon.”