May 13th - Stage 3 - Giro d’Italia

• Stage/Finish: Vinci › Orbetello

• Distance: 220 kilometers (flat)

Images ©Getty

Brent's Update:

Stage 3 was another one of those LONG “sprint” stages. Today’s stage was defined by some extremely strong but ultimately non-decisive wind and standard first week Grand Tour nervousness from the sprint and GC teams put things on the defensive for much is the stage.

That brave solo breakaway guy will be tired tonight. Some people probably watch and wonder why more guys don’t try to escape on a day like today.  The answer is different depending on the team, but most would agree that today was just too long, and we are still so early in the race. Combine that with a stacked sprint field where they know their chances are numbered and it was always likely to be a small group.  

Our efforts remained focused on keeping Simon safe and as effortlessly as possible. Once again it was Jack Bauer and me on deck for the first 180 or so kilometers. Some of this time was spent slotted in behind the chasing teams, but on a windy and nervous day like today, we also spent a lot of time with our noses in the wind and being aggressive with positioning. It’s my first race with Simon, but we are syncing up well. It is nice to ride for a guy who is a good bike handler and can stay glued to a wheel even when things heated.  

Tomorrow is another long one and in classic Giro fashion, they added 10 km of neutral to an already hefty 235-km stage. A bump in accumulated climbing and a demanding uphill section to the finish will surely see a bigger break and an especially heated finish.