Team Katusha’s rider Alexey Tsatevich took the third podium place today in the bunch sprint, which ended the second stage of the 2.1 Canadian race the Tour of Alberta.

Despite the cold and rain, the action on course was plenty hot with a mass sprint coming into Evergreen Park.  The wet road saw some riders hit the pavement as they sped across the finish line, but for Katusha it was all safe and happy with a good podium place for Tsatevich, age 26. 

"All day it was cold and wet.   We stayed together and quiet in the peloton but with 2km to go we followed the moves and the team kept me in the front for the sprint.  It’s a good start to the Tour of Alberta for us, two third places in two days," said third place Alexey Tsatevich.

Coming through in first place was Michael Matthews of Orica-GreenEdge with a winning time of 4.10.19.  Second place was earned by Nikias Arndt with Tsatevich in third place, all on the same time.  There was a change for the yellow jersey with Matthews now in the race lead.  Second and third on GC are Marco Coledan (Trek) and Matthews’ teammate Christian Meirer in third. 

"It was perfect for us, just riding within the group and following the moves of the other big teams.  And except for the cold it was an easy day for us all the way around," said team director Dmitriy Konyshev. 

The second day of the 3rd Tour of Alberta brought the first road stage after last night’s team time trial.  Remaining in Grande Prairie, the 171,6km stage was an out and back loop in the Evergreen Park area of the county.  In a departure from last night’s howling winds, Thursday’s stage was relatively calm but the cold weather saw a mostly frozen peloton arrived at the finish.  A break of four went clear early but once they started attacking each other and lost cooperation, they were brought back under the control of Trek Factory Racing and Orica-GreenEdge to set up the sprint. 

Friday’s stage 3 brings the first mountaintop stage in the Tour of Alberta.  The stage begins in Grande Cache and ends at Miette Hot Springs in Jasper National Park at 181,8km.