Marcel Kittel (Etixx-QuickStep) proved that he is in a class of his own at the Giro d’Italia by taking one of the most dominant bunch sprint wins of his impressive career on the second stage of the race. Having been supported excellently by his team, he could launch his sprint from the perfect position and his rivals were not even visible in the helicopter shots when he crossed the line to take his third stage victory in the Giro, with Arnaud Demare (FDJ) and Sacha Modolo (Lampre-Merida) being a distant second and third respectively. Tom Dumoulin (Giant-Alpecin) retained the lead but is now only 1 second ahead of the German sprinter.

 

We have gathered several reactions.

 

Marcel Kittel: It’s important to prove that I can still win at the grand tours

As the Giro d'Italia loomed on the horizon, Marcel Kittel stressed out that he's not just motivated for the first Grand Tour of the year, but also that he's enjoying his best ever spring since turning pro, with no less than eight victories already to his name, among which was also a record fourth win in Scheldeprijs. Confident in his and the team's strength, Kittel knew he wouldn't have to wait too much to grab yet another victory, which eventually came when everyone was expecting it, on the second day of the Corsa Rosa.

 

Racing his second Giro d'Italia, Kittel patiently kept his powder dry throughout the stage (Arnhem – Nijmegen, 190 kilometers), as the peloton controlled a three-man break which took off right after the start and was caught with less than 10 kilometers to go. The 27-year-old sprinter waited for the team to safely negotiate the final kilometers of the stage, as Bob Jungels, Fabio Sabatini, Matteo Trentin and Lukasz Wisniowski did a great job by bringing him at the top end of the bunch. Then, inside the last 200 meters, just as FDJ was trying to hit the front in the rush to the line, Kittel opened his devastating sprint, leaving everyone else behind and scoring an impressive victory, thus rekindling his long-standing relationship with the Grand Tours, in which he scored 12 wins so far.

 

After hitting the ground running at the 99th Giro d'Italia and making two visits to the podium on Saturday – one for the stage victory and one to get the red jersey of the points classification leader – Kittel sat down and talked to the media about his special day in the Netherlands, where he enjoyed not only his 9th success of the season, but also the fantastic and overwhelming atmosphere created by the thousands and thousands of Dutch fans.

 

"I was feeling really good today and started my sprint in a perfect moment. With the finish being in a short downhill, I knew it was perfect for me and kicked-off my sprint with confidence. Winning the stage with a small gap was even better, especially as it came at the end of an incredible day. The fans were outstanding and supported us all the time, the Dutch really know how to celebrate and it was like a big party out there. I must say, the finish in Nijmegen was one of the most amazing I've ever seen", said Kittel after bringing Etixx – Quick-Step its 24th victory of the season.

 

Stage 2 of the Corsa Rosa was arguably Kittel's biggest win of the year, and he credited his teammates for boxing their way to the front and leaving him in an excellent position as the peloton hit the climax of the day:

 

”What makes me very happy is that the team showed huge confidence and huge strength to make this win possible for me, so I want to thank the guys for fighting in the finale and taking me to the front of the pack.

 

"The win was very special also because I had my girlfriend – who lives not far from here – waiting for me at the finish. Now I'm looking forward to the next stage with calm and an even higher degree of confidence.

 

”Firstly I want to say chapeau to the people of the Netherlands for the great atmosphere on the road today. I’m super happy to win the first bunch sprint of the Giro.

 

“Yesterday, the time trial was a good sign of my form. Today my team did a very good job to bring me to the front. I had to get through a few gaps to reach the front of the group. It was a tricky finale and I’m very happy with how it went. Now I’m one second away from the pink jersey. Step by step, I’m getting there.

 

“I don’t have the strongest team to lead me out but with the confidence they have in me and their strength, my team-mates guided me through the middle of the peloton when other teams like FDJ took other options on the left side of the road and we took advantage of them.

 

"It's absolutely amazing. I hoped much for today but you cannot be 100% sure because the competition is tough. Sometimes things do not go as you planned but today the team was fantastic. I felt really good and the combination made the victory possible.

 

“Before starting the Giro in The Netherlands, I didn’t visualise what it could be like, so it’s a surprise to have so many fans making it special to win in such a great atmosphere. It was also a nice surprise to see my girlfriend at the finish.

 

”This morning I congratulated my former team-mates [of Giant-Alpecin] for the pink jersey that could become mine tomorrow but I don’t want to think about it. I just want to focus on another bunch sprint that will be very fast as well. It’ll suit me again and my confidence is very high now.

 

“I congratulated them for having the pink jersey at home, it’s always nice to show that in front of your home crowd. It’s an important win for the team and for me it was important to see them doing well, too.

 

“But now we are also rivals. Of course, there were jokes like ‘Tom get bonus seconds’, but they know it’s a race, we’re all here to race, and there are no bad feelings if that situation came up. We maybe have to take advantage of that.

 

“After a difficult year, back to winning in a Grand Tour. That’s something that means a lot to me. I didn’t think about how special it would be to win here, but it’s definitely one of the most beautiful wins.

 

"Tomorrow it is possible to get the pink jersey. But first, we will do everything to sprint and win bonuses. I hope that we can use the situation to get the pink jersey.

 

“The red jersey is already nice. Then we will see what happens at the finish line. The main priority is the sprint and making that right.

 

“Tomorrow is again a super fast sprint after you come down the bridge, so it’s something that suits my style. After today the confidence is really, really big, for me and for the team. I would like to underline that. It’s important for my teammates to know that we can be successful now in this race, even with a combination of riders where the experience is maybe not the highest.

 

"We fought our way to the win today and we will have the same mentality tomorrow.”

 

Arnau Demare: I made small error due to a lack of confidence

“I think the lead out was good – the team worked really well – but I lacked a little juice in the sprint and I waited too long,” Arnaud Démare told Cyclingnews. “He caught me by surprise. He came up that much faster from behind, and he had much more momentum. There was a fraction of a second when I was going slightly under full-gas, not accelerating fast enough, wanting to wait. Then he kicked, and I went, but it was already too late.

 

“It was a small error due to a lack of confidence maybe. It knocked the wind out of my sails but I can’t be too unhappy.

 

“Anticipation is what I must do. Today I was very happy with my team, but not necessarily with my sprint, so now it’s time for me to take it up and it’s up to me to lead the sprints now.”

 

Strong Sacha Modolo after third place: If I had just been on Kittel’s wheel…

Matej Mohorič and Roberto Ferrari dropped Sacha Modolo off on the wheels of Kittel and Demare. The Italian sprinted to third.

 

"I lost 2-3 positions and I started too late. Thanks to my teammates, I had a good position to start the sprint. Unfortunately, at 600m there were a few riders between me and the first two sprinters. If I had found the wheel or Demare and Kittel immediately, the battle for victory would have been better. But there is nothing to take away from the beautiful sprint that Marcel did. He is really strong at this time of the year,” Modolo said.

 

“I came up from about seventh or eighth place. I almost got Demare too. It’s a pity I didn’t get Kittel’s wheel. He would probably have won but anyway but I could have had a go and taken him on.

 

"The high speed meant it was difficult to move up. It was a bit dangerous because I saw Nicola Ruffoni of Bardiani fighting for position with other riders. It’s a pity but lets see what happens tomorrow. My form is good and third is not a bad result. There were a lot of people along the roadside and even in the road. It’s great to see.

 

Maarten Tjallingii: I will attack again tomorrow

Moreno Hofland finished fourth in the second stage of the Giro d’Italia. Team LottoNL-Jumbo’s sprinter ended up behind Marcel Kittel (Etixx - Quick Step), Arnaud Démare (FDJ) and Sacha Modolo (Lampre - Merida) in the bunch sprint in Nijmegen. Maarten Tjallingii was part of the leading group for the biggest part of the day and won the combatively award.

 

Tjallingii said already before the Giro d’Italia that he was very motivated for the first weekend of the race in his area and he proved that with being part of the early breakaway.

 

“I wanted to give the fans something to cheer for,” he said. “I enjoyed it. It was fantastic to see al those people on the roads.”

 

Tjallingii lost the mountain sprint in Berg en Dal, so he didn’t grab the mountain jersey with his escape.

 

“I tried to surprise Omar Fraile (Dimension Data), but I wasn’t able to fight back to his wheel when I left open a small gap. I won two points, though. I’m going to try it another time again tomorrow, so if I win that mountain sprint, I will have the blue jersey.

 

"It is a shame, but it also motivates me to attack tomorrow on my training ground.

 

“It was fantastic and I had goose bumps. Can I do it two days in a row? Why not? I train every day too."

 

 Jan Boven followed Tjallingii during the race.

 

“It was a little party,” the sports director said. “The people came out in numbers to watch the race and it was beautiful to see that everything was pink. Maarten told me that he had goose bumps during the stage. This was a highlight for him.”

 

Moreno Hofland jumps from wheel to wheel to take fourth in Giro d’Italia sprint

When Tjallingii was caught with 20 kilometres to go, the two main tasks for Team LottoNL-Jumbo started. Front man Steven Kruijswijk was protected in the final part of the race and Moreno Hofland’s was prepared.

 

“Bram Tankink was with Steven Kruijswijk and covered him,” Boven added. “Hofland was able to profit and was in good position most of the time.”

 

“It was a hectic final, but I stood my ground,” Hofland said. “I was in the right place after Twan Castelijns and Bram worked for Steven. I followed the FDJ train afterwards, ended up in Caleb Ewan’s wheel, and was able to pass some riders eventually. This fourth place gives me confidence. I started my way up today.

 

"The team is built around Steven Kruijswijk. I was as well placed as possible by Jos van Emden and Twan Castelijns and find the wheel of a sprinter. First it was Greipel, but he was too far back. Then I have searched for Caleb Ewan’s wheel.

"I had already seen in Romandie that I was good. But with this fourth place I can go furher. It gives confidence."

 

Nicolas Ruffoni: This is definitely the best sprint I have done this year

Bardiani is satisfied thanks to the great sprint of Nicola Ruffoni who placed fifth. Ruffoni left behind strong sprinters like Greipel, Viviani, Ewan and Nizzolo. It was also a good performance by Paolo Simion who was 11th at the finish.

 

“Without any doubts, I’ve done the best sprint since the beginning of the season,” Ruffoni said. “It was not easy because we’re only in the second stage and everyone feels good and full of energy. Fifth place is good. The hardest work of the day was to follow Kittel’s wheel. I had to fight a lot in the last kilometers, but I did it. At one km to go, the speed got up, I waited until 200 meters and then I sprinted. I had the option to just follow Kittel and maybe get a better result, but I was feeling really good and I decided to try. Honestly, Marcel was incredible. Tomorrow I’ll try again.

 

"Today was a pretty challenging circuit. It required good legs. I got a result and I am sure that I can do better. In the coming days I'll try again." 

 

Aleksandr Porsev gets Katusha’s Giro d’Italia off to a good start

Stage 2 on Saturday kept the 99th Giro d’Italia in the Netherlands for a flat stage destined to be a sprint finish. Attentive to the moves and following the wheel of the eventual winner, Team KATUSHA’s Aleksandr Porsev put his strong sprinting skills on full display at the finish in Nijmegen, earning him a sixth place finish.

 

”I think for the first sprint it was ok, and I can be satisfied with my performance. In general, I felt quite good today. In the last few km I was a fighting for a good position and finally I was able to catch Kittel's wheel. When he started his sprint, I tried to follow him, but that speed was too fast for me. But, I was able to finish 6th, and this is not bad at all. I hope in next days I can improve and reach the podium,” said Aleksandr Porsev.

 

As Marcel Kittel (Etixx – Quick Step) made his winning move straight up the middle, Porsev was quick to respond on the wheel, but once the German kicked into high gear he rode away from everyone and took the stage win by at least three bike lengths. Porsev showed great racing skills, but it was Kittel’s day as he took win number nine for this season.

 

Orica-GreenEDGE: Hopefully Ewan gained valuable experience today

Caleb Ewan finished a respectable seventh for ORICA-GreenEDGE in an aggressive sprint finish on stage two of the Giro d’Italia today.

 

The 2016 Australian national criterium champion jumped from wheel to wheel in the final few hundred metres after solid work from Sam Bewley and Luka Mezgecbut coud not quite break out of the bunch behind stage winner Marcel Kittel (Etixx-Quickstep)

 

Esteban Chaves was protected well by his ORICA-GreenEDGE teammates and finished in an impressive 18th place, not content to sit safely within the main field alongside his fellow general classification contenders.

 

Sport director Matt White wasn’t surprised with how stage two panned out.

 

“As predicted it was a very hectic day,” said White. “It’s often like this on the first road stage of a Grand Tour especially with the incredible crowds that turned out today.

 

“Caleb (Ewan) and the team did very well to hold their positions going into the finale and obviously we would have liked to have a better result.”

 

“Caleb is a young developing rider,” explained White. “He is exceptionally talented and he will gain a lot of valuable experience in this race, hopefully we will get another a chance to contest the finish tomorrow.”

 

Omar Fraile expects to lose Giro d’Italia mountains jersey tomorrow

Team Dimension Data for Qhubeka got the Giro d'Italia off to an excellent start with Omar Fraile winning the first King of the Mountains Blue Jersey of this year’s Giro d'Italia. The stage win went the way of Marcel Kittel (Etixx-Quickstep) while Kristian Sbaragli also secured a top 10 stage finish for the African Team.

 

Racing got underway with the Basque rider, Fraile, jumping into the early break of the day together with Martin Tjallingii (LottoNL-Jumbo) and Giacomo Berlato (Nippo Vini Fantini) from kilometer zero. It was a predominantly flat stage but there was a single King of the Mountains prime which came after 155km of racing. It would be an important sprint as the first rider over the 'Berg en Dal' climb would be awarded the first King of the Mountains jersey of this year’s Giro d'Italia. Fraile and his two breakaway mates arrived at the foot of the climb with a lead of 2'40" over the peloton and so it was obvious the winner would come from one of the three. The trio went side by side until about 500m to go where the sprint then opened up, Fraile had little trouble in crossing the line first with a superior sprint, to take the first Mountain points of this year’s race. It would mark yet another incredible day in the history of the African Team, being the first jersey they have worn in their first appearance at the Italian grand tour.

With the jersey secured, Fraile and Tjallingii returned to the peloton with 20km to go and Berlato was reeled in with 10km to go to set up a sprint finale. The African Team had Kristian Sbaragli right in the mix for the finish. He also did a solid sprint to take 8th on the stage, ending off an incredible day for Team Dimension Data for Qhubeka.

 

Omar Fraile said:
 

“It was an objective of the team to get the jersey today. With it being the first day it was possible to be on the podium by going for the jersey and because it is our first Giro, the first time for an African Team here, we really wanted to be on the podium. For me it was a good opportunity to be in the break and in the mountain I was able to do a good sprint to get the jersey. I am really happy to have this jersey now after a really nice day. I really enjoyed the stage, the crowds were great. 

 

“I won this climber's jersey at the Vuelta a España and our team wanted to get it today. There was only one climb to make it so I had to break away early and win that sprint. This is my first experience at the Giro. It’s exciting.

 

“We’d been told the day before by management that it would be a good idea to get in the break because there would be a classification on offer at the end of the day. Doing this was a good way to start the Giro d’Italia. It’s true that on Monday the ‘real’ Giro starts, but I want to hold onto it for as long as possible, even if the points you get on little climbs like this are insignificant in the long run.

 

“Whenever you do this, you end up being more involved in the race at an earlier stage. It helps you build your focus.”

 

”Tomorrow it won’t be a stage for me. It’s too flat. But in Italy, I’ll try go for the King of the Mountains points again. I’m happy with the way I’ve started the Giro. Now I’d love to win a stage as well”

 

"It is impossible to repeat what I did at the Vuelta because if I do not go on the attack tomorrow, I will lose the shirt. You never know though and you have to think about every day. When the race gets to Italy, we must look at the stages and therefore I cannot say whether the jersey will be a goal or not. There’s too much Giro left.”

 

Team principal Douglas Ryder added:
 

“It is absolutely fantastic to have taken the jersey. It is our goal to be visible and aggressive and to do as much as we can in the race so for Omar to go out there and do it as was planned this morning, it is just incredible. To talk about something and then to go and do it is exceptional.

 

”To have a guy who has just come off winning the King of the Mountains at the Vuelta a Espana, come to the Giro d'Italia and to wear the leaders’ jersey in the King of the Mountains again, it just shows what kind of rider he is and also how committed we are to show our team and put Team Dimension Data for Qhubeka on the world stage.”

 

In-form Andrey Amador beats Greipel, Viviani and Nizzolo in Giro d’Italia bunch sprint

The first road stage of the 2016 Giro d'Italia - 190km from Arnhem to Nijmegen - went as calmly as possible for the Movistar Team on a fast, nervous day in the Dutch plains. Thanks to excellent work from Sütterlin, Rojas, Sutherland, Moreno and Herrada in favor of Alejandro Valverde and Andrey Amador, the two main GC references for the Blues stayed safe. Plus, at the end of the stage, the Costa Rican - now 4th overall, as the day's sprinting dominator Marcel Kittel (EQS) got up to second - brought a beautiful surprise.

 

Without being a sprinter, the Blues' best performer in Friday's time trial took a chance to avoid any splits and find an advantage against those ahead of him in the GC. He took 9th place. Ahead of Elia Viviani (SKY), André Greipel (LTS) or Giacomo Nizzolo (TFS), he confirmed that good condition and morale sometimes counts even more than condition itself. Another stroke by the 'tico', just 24 hours away from closing - with another 190km flat course to Arnhem - the Giro's course through the Gelderland province.

 

Rory Sutherland said:

 

"No crashes in the first day of a Grand Tour is generally good. It was an amazing, beautiful day here in Holland. Sun and the people came out to see the race in massive numbers, and I think it really shows what a great cycling country that Holland is. It's fantastic that the Giro came here, and I thank the people who made this possible.

 

”We got through safely and that was the main thing for us with Alejandro and Andrey. I kept them with me at the front as much as possible, out of trouble - the rest was eating, drinking, thinking about the whole three weeks we have to do and remain calm. For us, I think it was a successful day."

 

Giacomo Nizzolo: 10th is not what my legs could do today

The 190-kilometer stage two ended with the fastmen flexing their muscles in the first sprint battle of the 2016 Giro d'Italia.

 

Giacomo Nizzolo never found an open door to position well in the final kilometers and settled for a disappointing 10th place while Marcel Kittel (Etixx-Quick Step) continued his sprinting dominance to notch another victory.

 

A three-man breakaway animated the action out front for most of the race and gobbled up the top spots in the two intermediate sprints.  With an eye on the red points jersey, Nizzolo jumped out of the peloton to grab the fourth place points in both.

 

Nizzolo said: "We decided before the stage to go for the points in the intermediate sprints for the red jersey. I won both from the bunch. Then, in the end, we missed a little bit of connection between us, and Boy (Van Poppel) tried to bring me in a good position in the last kilometer, but we were really far back – around 25-30th position. From there I just did one-kilometer full gas, but it was not a sprint it was just a progression to try and pass as many guys as possible. When a sprint is fast like this, it is not easy to move up. Of course, 10th is not what my legs could do today. Tomorrow is another chance and after more to come. The feeling is good and we have to still believe it."

 

Still feeling the effects of a stomach virus, Fabian Cancellara dropped off the back of the peloton with a few kilometers to go to ensure a safe arrival and save all the energy he can in his fight to return to top form.

 

Tom Dumoulin: If anyone has to take the jersey, I would love it to be Kittel

Tom Dumoulin (NED) remains in the lead of the Giro d’Italia after the second stage. The team protected its captain well on the 190km from Arnhem to Nijmegen. Tobias Ludvigsson (SWE) easily retained his white jersey as best young rider and the team remained in the lead in the teamclassification. 

 

Dumoulin was carefully taken care of by his teammates on this day with beautiful weather and huge crowds, as the team stayed at the front of the field. The team stayed near the front and tried to set up the sprint for Nikias Arndt, but had no chance. He was 12th across the line.

 

Dumoulin finished safely in the field, as 36th. He leads the race, with Primoz Roglic still second in the same time, and Kittel moving into third, only one second down. Tobias Ludvigsson easily retained his white jersey as best young rider.

 

Tom Dumoulin gave his thoughts after the race:

 

“Today was really incredible and I enjoyed every second of it. Actually it was an easy day. The guys did a good job and we were never really in trouble. It was very nice to hear this wall of noise all day and people shouting my name. 

 

"The whole race was a party! There were crowds everywhere. I enjoyed the moment because my team helped me keep the pink jersey in a really good way. Now Marcel Kittel is close in GC but the party continues.

 

“That made a fairly easy day, even more enjoyable, I could enjoy the crowds, all the people shouting my name. It was a party out there. To me it’s very special, because ever since last winter this has been a goal but in my head it wasn’t real and now it is, which is strange.

 

“There were many people wanting a picture, shouting my name, I will try to enjoy it for as long as it lasts now. I don’t like saying things like ‘this was the best day of my life’, but it was certainly really, really cool.

 

“We didn’t specify our goals before the race, except to work for the time trials in this Giro. I didn’t really think about the pink jersey itself, to get it here or one of the next few days. Now it has already happened [and] this is the dream scenario.

 

“As you can imagine, it was a very special day. I really enjoyed the crowds shouting my name. I also saw a sign asking: Tom, will you marry me? The answer is no, because it wasn’t my girlfriend carrying that sign. I wouldn’t say it’s the best day of my career or my life. I don't like those lines. But it was really, really cool.

 

“With three guys on the road, all the bonus seconds were gone, so we had a fairly easy day [in defence of the pink jersey]. It's all very close together now, but the chances are pretty high that I will lose the jersey tomorrow if [Marcel] Kittel sprints again like that. Top 3 is enough for him to take the overall lead. He just has to be in the right place at the right time, and if he is, he's normally in the top 3, so it sounds easy for him. We don't have it really in our own hands tomorrow.

 

“It is all very close now, but the chances are pretty high that I will lose it tomorrow if Kittel sprints again like he did. We just have to make sure that there is another breakaway on the road to take the bonus seconds away, and then we will see.

 

“If somebody else has to take it to Italy, please let it be Marcel. In our team, we always liked Marcel as a person and as a captain. Now he's in another team but he's still everyone's friend".

 

Nikias Arndt out of position for first Giro d’Italia sprint

Nikias Arndt said: “I think in general we had a good day. We stayed in front the whole race and showed we wanted to defend the jersey. The whole day we had control over the race and we defended both jerseys. We can be really proud of the team and our strong performance.

 

“Going into the final lap we immediately saw it was really hectic and nervous. In the end, though our position was not good enough. If you are not in perfect position, then it’s hard to get a good result.”

 

Tobias Ludvigsson defends white jersey on nervous day in the Netherlands

“It was great to be riding in the white jersey and we rode as a team throughout the day,” explained Tobias Ludvigsson. “I was a little scared of this finale. It was sometimes really narrow but we managed to finish safely in the bunch. We retained the pink and white jerseys, and the lead in the team classification. I hope I can stay in the young rider jersey as long as possible.

 

 “It means a lot to me to wear the white jersey. Personally, it’s a great satisfaction and for the team as well because we’re in Holland [Giant-Alpecin is a Germand-registered and Dutch-based organization]. The atmosphere was wonderful on the road today. With Tom [Dumoulin] in the pink jersey, we’ll never forget this start in The Netherlands.

 

Coach Marc Reef said: “The goals were to keep Tom in pink and to sprint with Nikias. I think everything was in control. Only three guys in front and that was also very good for us. In the end it turned out to be a sprint, and there we worked for Nikias. It was a very hectic lap – narrow roads and then wider roads. Albert [Timmer] and Nikias managed to stay together and in the end Bert [De Backer] brought Nikias into the last 700-800 meters. In the sprint, Nikias finished just outside the top 10.

 

“For tomorrow I expect a comparable scenario to unfold and we will apply the same strategy. If Kittel sprints to the podium, which is quite likely, then he will be in the lead.”

 

Elia Viviani: To beat Kittel, I have to be directly on his wheel

Elia Viviani finished just outside of the top ten on day two of the Giro d'Italia after a frantic bunch finish in Nijmegen.

 

The Italian was in the mix going into the last kilometre but he was unable to fully launch his effort and he came home 13th, as Marcel Kittel (Etixx - Quick-Step) sprinted to a fine victory.

 

Team Sky had moved to the front with around 15km to go in the Netherlands and kept both Viviani and team leader Mikel Landa out of trouble but, in the final stages, Viviani couldn't engineer a solo victory.

Landa finished safely, while race leader Tom Dumoulin (Giant-Alpecin) retained the Maglia Rosa by a second from Kittel.

 

Speaking to TeamSky.com back at the bus Viviani acknowledged the work of his team-mates and praised stage winner Kittel.

 

He said: "We did a really good job from 10km to go. We stayed at the front with Christian [Knees], David [Lopez] and Nico [Roche].

 

"I was able to stay safe and Nico tried to keep me in a good position, but it was a really chaotic sprint and there was a headwind too.

 

"When Etixx took the lead they had a really fast lead-out train and I had to come from 15th position. I wasn't in a good position really, but tomorrow we will try again.

 

"At the moment Kittel is the strongest sprinter in the world and I know I need to stay on his wheel to try and take a win."

 

Tjallingi twice swept up the day's intermediate sprint points, while behind Viviani finished sixth on the first sprint and fifth on the second to claim 10 points that could prove crucial in the battle for the red jersey later in the race.

 

Giacomo Berlato misses out on dream in first Giro d’Italia road stage

The first escape of the 99 edition of Giro d’Italia has seen Giacomo Berlato among the three riders in the break. Like in the 2015 Giro, the young Nippo rider was part of the first escape of the race. He missed the chance to wear the GPM jersey and instead he tried a solo action.

 

“Today I tried immediately to be in the escape, from km 0,” he said. “I would like to try the emotion to wear a Giro d’Italia Jersey, like the mountains jersey, for me and for the team that has believed in me since last year, launching me in the professional world. To go on Giro d’Italia podium would be a dream and an honor.

 

”Anyway, at the end there was no more collaboration in the escape so I tried to re-launch alone. Unfortunately I’ve been caught 10 km from the finish line, but today we demonstrated to be there, with an attacking attitude. Again the public was amazing. We were the show for them, but they were the show for us.

 

“I tried right from the start. I wanted to take the climber’s jersey after going for it on the same stage last year. It didn’t come off and I only got third but I’ll keep attacking. Tomorrow is another day and I’m not going stop now. We’ve got a long way to go yet in the Giro d’Italia.

 

“The crowds were amazing out there. I had goose-bumps for long sections of the stage and the crowd gave you the moral to really fight. I hope its the same in Italy because this was something special.”

 

Sports Director Stefano Giuliani added: “Our strategy could not be a standard one today, to compete with strongest teams of the World. We got our young talent in the right action to try to get the miuntains Jersey and then we re-launched in the final part, when everybody was thinking that the escape was over. He re-got a minute, but then it was impossible to prevent the group from coming back. We demonstrated our Giro attitude. For us it is a great honor to be there, and to give show to this wonderful public and race. That is what we want to try to do.”

 

BMC gets into the racing rhythm on first road stage at the Giro d’Italia

BMC Racing Team finished with three riders in the top twenty: Rick Zabel in 17th, Silvan Dillier in 19th and Daniel Oss in 20th.

 

Daniel Oss said:

“It was a good stage. I tried to stay in the front and just to really feel how my legs are because it was the first race after the Classics. I know I am a bit late with my form so I wanted to try and to get a good indication of where I am. I think I am in quite good shape. Maybe in one or two stages I can try something.

 

“The pace was quite relaxed today, especially in the first half. The speed was higher and the winds picked up a little in the final part, and once we reached the circuit the pace picked up. It was the kind of stage we were expecting.”

 

Sports director Max Sciandri added:

 

“Today went exactly as expected really as it was always going to end in a bunch sprint. Our main objective was to stay out of trouble, test the legs after the time trial yesterday, and get into the rhythm of racing.

 

“The guys rode well today and we had a few of them up there in the final. I expect we’ll have a similar day of racing tomorrow with our last day in Holland, and then it will be another story once we arrive in Italy for our first stage on Italian soil on Tuesday.”

 

Young Kazakh works to keep Vincenzo Nibali safe in the Giro

"It was a nervous stage,” said Bakhtiyar Kozhatayev from Astana. “Everyone wants to stay ahead and you fight a lot to hold the positions. My most expert teammates have said to me ‘welcome to the Giro d'Italia’.

 

"The thing that struck me is the warmth of so many people wearing a pink t-shirt along the way. It encourages us.”

 

“No stress, I got through it ok,” Vincenzo Nibali said.

 

"We were often in the top positions,” said sporting director Giuseppe Martinelli, “to protect as much as possible Vincenzo from possible crashes which were quite frequent on these roads that sometimes become very narrow."

 

Tinkoff aim to get safely to Italy in the Giro d’Italia

The Giro d’Italia headed out on its first road stage today. With a flat profile, the pace was fast over the entire length of the stage, having to tackle only one fourth category climb towards the end of the route. With a fast run in to the finish line, the expected bunch sprint took place, with Rafal Majka the first Tinkoff rider over the line in 31st position, followed closely by Manuele Boaro in 49th – the whole team crossing the line with the same time as the bunch.

 

From the stage’s finish, Sport Director, Tristan Hoffman explained that today’s aim was to stay safe, and so the team wasn’t troubled by the escape’s time gap.

 

“Everything went OK today. There was an early break, with three guys out in front and the peloton didn’t push it because there was no wind to split the group, so they created a good gap.”

The level of support in Nijmegen was fantastic, Hoffman said, although the urban finish wasn’t without its challenges.

 

“It was nice to see the crowds and the people giving their support to the race. Sometimes it was a little difficult in the town, with the roundabouts, speed bumps and some narrow roads, but everyone finished safely.”

 

The escape pulled in less than 10km before the line, the race was on for the finish. While Tinkoff were visible at the head of the peloton for some time as the race neared its end, the aim was to ensure Rafal Majka finished the stage safely, without losing time in the GC battle. He finished the stage in 31st position, with Manuele Boaro crossing the line shortly after in 49th position, the whole team taking the same time as the bunch.

 

At the finish, Hoffman summed up the day’s events.

 

“The day worked out pretty well. Our guys stayed out of trouble, working to keep Rafal Majka safe. We don’t have any sprinters here so the aim is to keep out of trouble until the race moves to Italy. The first stage in Italy is a tricky one with some undulating roads, so some gaps are expected, but we’ll wait and see what happens.”

 

Tomorrow is the last day of the race’s excursion to the Netherlands, with another 190km stage, this time from Nijmegen to Arnhem with another fourth category climb on the route. With a rest day on Monday to enable riders to make their way to Italy, where the race continues, there’s every chance riders will give it their all in a likely sprint finish. Hoffman expected some aggressive riding from Etixx-Quick Step ahead of another bunch sprint.

 

“It’s more or less the same tomorrow. There are some quite small and narrow roads, so again we’re looking to keep out of trouble. Looking at the GC, Etixx are one second down on taking the leader’s jersey, so they might try to control the stage. The weather will be ok, so it’ll likely end in another bunch sprint.”

 

Bad luck costs Mareczko his lead-out train in Giro d’Italia sprint

The pink adventure of Wilier – Southeast didn’t start well in the 2nd stage. In the finale of the stage, two important riders of the train for Jakub Mareczko had some mishaps that didn’t let the sprinter fight for the win in the last kms. The crash –  without consequences – of Liam Bertazzo and the puncture in the last 3km of Filippo Pozzato made it impossible to contest the sprint.

 

Ag2r keep Peraud and Pozzovivo safe on second day in the Netherlands

"It was a step for the sprinters, but it was not easy for us,” Blel Kadri said. “We must protect Jean-Christophe and Domenico so they so not miss any splits make less effort during the day. The day went well, the weather was nice to us. We still have a day in the Netherlands before the first rest day and the start of the Giro in Italy. It's going well and the team is united. "