KITTEL MAKES IT TWO IN FINAL DUTCH STAGE
German sprinter wins second sprint in a row and takes Maglia Rosa to Italy
Over half a million people cheer for Corsa Rosa in land of tulips
Arnhem, 8 May 2016 – Marcel Kittel of Etixx - Quick-Step made it two in a row by winning Stage 3 from Nijmegen to Arnhem, preceding the Italians Elia Viviani of Team Sky and Giacomo Nizzolo of Trek – Segafredo in the bunch gallop. The German sprinter also took the first Maglia Rosa of his career.
The Dutch authorities and local organizing committee counted over half a million roadside spectators in the three days that the Giro d’Italia spent in the province of Gelderland. 30,000 attended today’s start in Nijmegen, 60,000 attended the stage finish in Arnhem and 165,000 crowded the race route.
The long breakaway of the day was formed of Julen Amezqueta (Willier Triestina – Southeast), Johann van Zyl (Team Dimension Data), Giacomo Berlato (Nippo – Vini Fantini) and Maarten Tjallingii (Team Lotto NL – Jumbo). Berlato and Tjallingii were both in yesterday's long breakaway from Arnhem to Nijmegen. The quartet achieved its maximum lead of 8'10" at km 68.
Jean-Christophe Péraud of AG2R-La Mondiale crashed on a roundabout leaving the village of Borculo (km 86). The runner-up in the 2014 Tour de France became the first rider to abandon the 99th Giro d’Italia. Tjallingii took the lead in the King of the Mountains competition by cresting the only categorized climb of Stage 3 at Posbank (km 134) in first position.
Van Zyl forged on with 11km to go. He built a lead over the chasing peloton of almost one minute but he was brought back with 1.7km to go as the sprinters teams closed in on the stage finish.
DOWNLOAD
- Stage 3 Results
- Stage 3 Photo Gallery 1
- Stage 3 Photo Gallery 2
- Stage 3 Photo Gallery 3
- Stage 3 Marcel Kittel Press Conference Audio File
- Il Garibaldi (Giro d'Italia Official Program)
- Giro 2016 Maps
Download Marcel Kittel interview
FINAL RESULT
1 - Marcel Kittel (Etixx - Quick-Step) - 190km in 4h23’45”, average speed 43.222km/h
2 - Elia Viviani (Team Sky) s.t.
3 - Giacomo Nizzolo (Trek - Segafredo) s.t.
JERSEYS
- Maglia Rosa (pink), General Classification, sponsored by Enel - Marcel Kittel (Etixx - Quick-Step)
- Maglia Rossa (red), Sprints Classification, sponsored by Algida - Marcel Kittel (Etixx - Quick-Step)
- Maglia Azzurra (blue), King of the Mountains Classification, sponsored by Banca Mediolanum - Maarten Tjallingii (Team Lotto NL - Jumbo)
- Maglia Bianca (white), Young Rider Classification, sponsored by Eurospin - Tobias Ludvigsson (Team Giant - Alpecin)
GENERAL CLASSIFICATION
1 - Marcel Kittel (Etixx - Quick-Step)
2 - Tom Dumoulin (Team Giant - Alpecin) at 9"
3 - Andrey Amador (Movistar Team) at 15"
STATISTICS
- With his fourth stage win, Marcel Kittel equals Rudi Altig as the most successful German at the Giro d’Italia. Altig won two stages in 1966 and two in 1967
- The last German to have worn the Maglia Rosa was Olaf Pollack, for one day in 2006. He also had it for one day in 2004
- Other Germans in pink: Jens Heppner (10 days in 2002), Herman Buse (5 days in 1932), Stefan Schumacher (2 days in 2006), Gregor Braun (1 day in 1981)
QUOTES
Marcel Kittel: “My plan for the Giro is to take the race goal by goal. My first goal was to do well in the time trial. My second goal was to win two sprint stages. Now I’ll fly to Italy with the pink jersey, it’s a great honour. I’m proud of what I’ve achieved in these first three days. As a sprinter I want to be the fastest. I’ve managed to be the one because of the great support of my team and the excellent condition I have. The number of spectators who have attended the event and the way I’ve won these two sprints make my Dutch experience of the Giro a very enjoyable one”.
King of the Mountains Maarten Tjallingii: “Talking about my breakaway yesterday, I said this morning it was once in a lifetime but it became twice in a lifetime. And the atmosphere along the road was even better today than yesterday. This is my home crowd. I live in Arnhem and we passed 200 metres away from my house. To have the Giro d’Italia here in Gelderland is a gift for me. I knew there was a possibility to take the King of the Mountains jersey if I made the breakaway again. The legs were a bit