On the day when it was announced that he had been selected for the long list for the World Championships, Flippo Pozzato showed that he is ready for the battle for the rainbow jersey when he sprinted to third in stage 19 of the Vuelta a Espana. The Italian is pleased with his condition which bodes well for his upcoming challenges.

Filippo Pozzato went into the Vuelta a Espana to prove that he deserves a spot on the Italian team for the Worlds. After a slow start to the race, he did just that when he finished third in today's stage of the race.

"Today I knew it could be a stage suitable to my characteristics, and I fought hard on the final climb as I wanted to sprint from a small group," he said. "I have to congratulate Hansen who anticipated everbody and attacked at the the right time when no teams in the peloton had the strength to organize a chase.

"My condition is definitely good and I'm sorry to have missed a chance to show it in full. In the sprint I had to slow down because I was closed towards the barrier but there is no regret as it doesn't matter whether it's a 2nd or 3rd place. I think at this time I'm better than my rivals and I hope to show it in my next races.