Jake Latham
Riders left Nijmegen and navigate 190km in the opposite direction back to Arnhem where Saturday’s stage 2 started.
Narrow roads and high winds will make riding tough before the peloton hits the Posbank categorised climb of 2.2km with a maximum gradient of 12% some 134km deep in the race.
A technical descent will take the bunch down to the Arnhem circuit that riders will complete twice.
The last 500 meters are on a 7.5m wide asphalt road with no critical bends on their way to the line.
Maarten Tjallingii (LottoNL-Jumbo) was rewarded for his second day in the break with the King of the Mountain classification on the Posbank climb. The Dutchman now leads the KOM and Sprint classification early on heading in to Stage 4 back in Italy.
Again the break away was caught with only a few kilometers to go as the pace lifted for the finish line in Arnhem. With 600 meters to Kittel was right where he needed to be when his Etixx teammate Fabio Sabatini launched the final attack. Kittel once again came flying off the wheel and into first place in convincing fashion.
“I’m super happy with this victory, which is my fourth stage win at the Giro, and I’ve also got leader’s jersey as well. I’m very happy to be able to say that I’ve worn the yellow jersey at the Tour de France and now the pink jersey at the Giro d’Italia, which is something quite unique,” said Kittel.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TB0Yp-tcPZw
Stage 4 is back in Italy for 200kms after the first rest day was had on Monday.
Tuesday’s Stage 4 might leave some of the sprinters behind on the lumpy stage from Catanzaro to Pria a Mare.
With two decent climbs in the third quarter it should upset the GC too much but will make for some interesting racing back on Italian soil.
Watch the race live on SBS, Tuesday 10 May, 2230 – 0130 AEST.
