One day after dropping out of GC contention, Domenico Pozzovivo (Ag2r) was back to his best on the third stage of the Giro del Trentino where the tiny Italian took a big solo win. Having attacked the favourites with 2km to go, he held a four-rider chase group at bay to win the stage ahead of Mikel Landa (Astana) and Richie Porte (Sky) who comfortable defended his overall lead.

Going into the Giro del Trentino, Domenico Pozzovivo was widely tipped to be the biggest rival for favourite Richie Porte. With a stage win and podium spot in the Volta a Catalunya, the Italian had had a great start to the year and the mountainous Italian race has always been a happy hunting ground for the 2012 winner of the race.

However, Pozzovivo was surprisingly far off the pace in the first mountain stage where he lost 1.24 to the dominant Porte and lost all opportunities to take a second overall win in the race. The result was worrying for the Ag2r leader who is approaching Liege-Bastogne-Liege and the Giro d’Italia which are both big goals for him.

Luckily it seems that it was just an off-day for the strong Italian as he bounced back with a great stage win in the second mountain stage of the race. He did everything perfectly to make a well-timed attack and complete an excellent showing by the Ag2r team.

"We knew that we had worked well yesterday," he said. "We wanted to achieve something. It was necessary to find solutions and the race tactics were good. Hubert [Dupont] and Hugo [Houle] spent all day in front. I knew I could be involved on the final climb. In the finale, Romain's [Bardet] attack was very beneficial for me. I stayed in the wheels while the other riders were trying to close the gap. It only remained to finish off all the good work of the team. 

"This Giro started well for us with a solid performance in the team time trial but we lacked a bit in the finale of the stage yesterday due to the heat and allergy. Today we were better organised tactically and rode a near perfect race. It’s important to pick your moment, and I knew where I had to attack because I’ve raced on this climb before. I went for it a bit far out but I managed my effort. I knew I’d got it with 500m to go.

"We told each other that we had to bounce back after yesterday, so tried to take on Team Sky. We had guys in the break and then we’d planned that Romain (Bardet) would try to do something on the Redebus climb, while I’d wait for the finale because I’m not in the GC.

"I felt good and I’ve been training well this year. I wanted to be on form here so I’m ready for the Giro d’Italia. I’ve been coming back from an operation. This year I tried to go a little slower in Trentino to be more powerful than in the past in the Giro where I jave generally suffered in the last days.

"I am happy to win after a break of three weeks. I see that I am already at the right pace. The GC will not change tomorrow so now I focus Liège - Bastogne -. Liège and of course the Giro .

"I have not won two races since 2012. The victory was missing. I'm in a good spiral, I hope it will last for a while."

Pozzovivo now targets the podium in the Giro.

"I think there are five us up for a podium spot. In addition to Porte and me, there are Contador, Uran and Aru. Being on the podium would be a great result for me and I’d also like to win a stage, too. I’ve gone close in recent years," he said. "At my side, I will have Nocentini, Montaguti, Betancur, Houle, Gretsch, Domont and who else will be selected.

"I’m perhaps a little too calculating in my tactics but that’s my character. I’ve probably got to come up with something special during the Giro. But I hope to not lose too much in the time trial. It’s long and will be important but it’s late in the race, so perhaps the time gaps will be smaller.

"Porte has shown he’s in great shape and he’ll be a tough client. I’m perhaps one step down from him but I known I’m suited to the Giro d’Italia climbs."

Before the Giro, Pozzovivo will focus on Liege-Bastogne-Liege.

"Today I won and I'm very happy with this victory in Trentino since this is the third stage win in my career," he said. "But my head is already in Belgium. Tomorrow I will ride the last stage of this race, but I can not deny that my dreams and my ambitions will be moved further north, to a race that has always eluded me.

"I think I can do better than last year's fifth place. I feel good, and today I proved it. I will also need a bit of luck. I hope that the wheel turns in the right direction. A year ago, Giampaolo [Caruso] and I were not lucky at all although a fifth place in the queen of the classics is always a great achievement, but what I would like on Sunday is at least the podium. To be on one of those steps would be great.

"Liège is very selective because it always rewards the strongest. Of riders there are several riders who are riding well, beginning with Alejandro Valverde. But I won't underestimate world champion Kwiatkowski or Joaqui, Rodriguez. Or Astana with Vincenzo Nibali at the helm. I want to be in the mix. The important thing is to be ready to seize the moment. Last year I got there very close, just 50 meters from the win and it would have changed my life."

"After yesterday's stage that left a sense of unfinished business, Domenico's and Romain's fourth place are beautiful satisfactions," sports director Julien Jurdie said. "We made a big race as a team. A group of fifteen riders with Hubert ( Dupont) and Hugo (Houle) escaped. Romain felt good and he made a mistake of youth by attacking on the first climb. He thought the peloton would give him some room but the Sky and Colombia teams did not allow that. He sat up quickly.

"He attacked in the second part of the penultimate climb. He was able to join the front group. They stayed clear until two kilometres remained. Hubert did a big job before he sat up. When the main group returned, Domenico countered.

"This tough race suits him perfectly and he proved it today. Romain needed reassurance and he got that. They will approach the next races including Liège - Bastogne -. Liege Sunday with big moral "