Tinkoff-Saxo continued to make an effort to exercise control over the course of events at the Giro d’Italia, as a breakaway of more than 20 riders marked stage 3. The stage was won by Michael Matthews, while team captain Alberto Contador finished safely in the decimated bunch after a day of laborious riding at the front for Tinkoff-Saxo.
 
As Alberto Contador crossed the line in Sestri Levante retaining his 6th place overall, the team leader noted that it had been a surprisingly tough stage, while he stressed the importance of taking responsibility in the main bunch.
 
“I’ve just looked at my SRM power meter and I can see that I have raced at a very high power output throughout the stage with nearly no moments of rest. The team worked at the front all day to avoid surprises and crashes. And the stage profile also made for a good day to sit at the front of the peloton. With almost no flat terrain, a lot of cornering and accelerations, we decided to stay at the front, as it was equally hard for those behind us”, says Alberto Contador, who adds:
 
“I have to say thanks to all of my teammates. Today, they were simply exceptional and they give me a lot of confidence. Today’s tactic was the best to avoid losing many minutes and perhaps the victory. We put Boaro in the big breakaway, while we rode in the peloton to control the race, as we didn’t want to see a situation, where nobody took responsibility and the break could take 15 minutes. But thanks to my team, today passed without problems and my sensations were good”.

Stage 3 of Giro d’Italia from Rapallo to Sestri Levante featured no less than 2300 altitude meters during the course of just 136 kilometers. Unfortunately, the day was marked by the serious crash of pre-race contender Domenico Pozzovivo, who had to abandon the Giro – a great misfortune for the AG2R rider and the race, notes Contador.
 
“I just heard about it after the finish and it’s a real pity. We tried to avoid risks today but it is true that the descent was quite dangerous. I want to send my best wishes to Domenico with hopes of a swift recovery. At the same time it’s also a pity for the race that he has to abandon, as he was one of the big GC contenders”, comments Contador.
 
One of the big pacesetters during stage 3 was Chris Juul-Jensen, who together with Ivan Rovny and Matteo Tosatto took to the front of the bunch until the start of the 2ndcategory climb. Juul-Jensen tells that he drew motivation from the overall team objective.
 
“In the first big chunk of the stage, I pulled at the front with Matteo and Ivan and in the second part our team climbers took over. Sure it was hard but it really boosts my motivation thinking about the reason why we are here. When you’re up there at the front of the main bunch of the Giro and you think about the guys you have on your wheel, you get an additional level of energy. I’m proud to do my job and we have many days ahead of us, where we have to think ahead everyday and use our energy at important moments like today”, says Christopher Juul-Jensen.
 
“Perhaps, some might say that we took too much responsibility today, but the twisty roads with constant up and down meant that the effort made is somewhat more consistent and controlled at the front. I, of course, have to make sure that I can perform within the third week as well, but the overall ambition, for me, is to make sure that Alberto saves energy”, adds the 25-year old Dane.

Tinkoff-Saxo’s Manuele Boaro participated in the big 26-man breakaway that broke clear in the opening kilometers. According to Tinkoff-Saxo sports director Steven de Jongh, the strategy was to have a team rider controlling the race from the front.
 
“The strategy was the same of yesterday’s stage, which was not to lose time and to keep the entire team safe. It was a technical parcours with terrain suited for a breakaway. When the big breakaway formed, we asserted that it would be better to have a rider, in this case Manuele, positioned up there so we knew what the situation was at the front”, concludes Steven de Jongh.
 
Tinkoff-Saxo has three riders in the top ten of the GC. Roman Kreuziger, Alberto Contador and Michael Rogers sit 5th, 6th and 7th going into the hilly stage 4 to La Spezia.