After Domenico Pozzovivo's withdrawal, Ag2r have been forced to change their goals. Today they showed their new strategy when Axel Domont made it into the group from which winner Jan Polanc emerged.

"We had to try, there is nothing else to do," he said. "I believed in it but I didn't have the luck. We must continue like that. When I saw the peloton did not react, I felt that we could go all the way.

"I knew Jan Polanc and Sylvain Chavanel would be the men to beat and I was not wrong. I did not have the legs so I have no regrets. We have not discussed a possible alliance with Sylvain (Chavanel) because we are not on the same team. One thing's for sure , the spectators will have a great Giro with Contador, Aru and Porte.

"We were here for Pozzo. He is no longer there, now we must take our chances. We're not in this Giro to follow wheels. There are fifteen stages left, that means fifteen opportunities to escape."