Giro dItalia 2016 Stage 3: Kittel powers to victory and leaders jersey

Giro d’Italia 2016 Stage 3: Kittel powers to victory and leader’s jersey

At 190 kilometres, stage 3 in the Giro d'Italia leads from Nijmegen to Arnhem. Home-rider Tjallingii was, just like yesterday, in the break and he takes the KOM-jersey, but the big man is Marcel Kittel. The German powers to victory and, thanks to a time bonus at 10 seconds, he is the new man in pink. (Slideshow route/profile)

Results 3rd stage Giro d’Italia

1. Marcel Kittel (ger)
2. Elia Viviani (ita) s.t.
3. Giacomo Nizzolo (ita) s.t.
4. André Greipel (ger) s.t.
5. Alexander Porsev (rus) s.t.
6. Kristian Sbaragli (ita) s.t.
7. Moreno Hofland (nld) s.t.
8. Arnaud Démare (fra) s.t.
9. Rick Zabel (ger) s.t.
10. Matej Mohoric (slo) s.t.

GC after stage 3
1. Marcel Kittel (ger) z.t
2. Tom Dumoulin (nld) + 0.09
3. Andrey Amador (crc) + 0.1
4. Tobias Ludvigsson (swe) + 0.17
5. Moreno Moser (ita) + 0.21
6. Bob Jungels (lux) + 0.22
7. Matthias Brändle (aut) + 0.23
8. Roger Klüge (ger) + 0.25
9. Chad Haga (usa) s.t.
10. Georg Preidler (aut) + 0.26

11. Vincenzo Nibali (ita) + 0.28
14. Steven Kruijswijk (nld) + 0.31
16. Alejandro Valverde (spa) + 0.33
22. Esteban Chaves (col) + 0.39
30. Rigoberto Uran (col) + 0.42
39. Rafal Majka (pol) + 0.47
43. Mikel Landa (spa) + 0.49

Race report
After yesterday’s stint homerider Tjallingii and Berlato are in the break again, while Van Zyl and Amezqueta are the new faces. The quartet races to a maximum lead at over 8 minutes.

At the only KOM climb, Posbank, Tjallingii is the first to crest, thus taking the blue jersey from Fraile. At the top the gap is 2 minutes.

The chasing peloton is 1’11” down on the leaders with one round on the local circuit left. A little later Van Zyl goes solo, while a crash in the pack forces Roglic to chase. He doesn’t make it and he tumbles down in the GC.

With 2 kms remaining Van Zyl is the last escapee to be reeled in and then it’s Kittel time. The German makes it look so easy when he accelerates to drop each and everyone and win the race with a few bike lengths. Perfect lead out, perfect sprint. As a bonus Kittel takes the pink jersey.