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MARINA DI ASCEA, Italy (AFP) –
Italian Luca Paolini celebrates on the podium of the third stage of 96th Giro d’Italia going from Sorrento to Marina di Ascea on May 6, 2013 in Marina di Ascea.
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Luca Paolini won the third stage of the Giro d’Italia to take the overall leader’s pink jersey following the 222km ride from Sorrento to Marina di Ascea on Monday.
In a bunch sprint for second place former Tour de France winner Cadel Evans edged out reigning Giro champion Ryder Hesjedal as the overall favourites finished in a small group 16sec back.
In his first ever Giro at the age of 36, Paolini took over the leader’s jersey from countryman Salvatore Puccio of Team Sky, who was distanced on the final climb.
The Katusha rider now leads from reigning Tour de France champion Bradley Wiggins by 17sec with the latter’s Sky teammate Rigoberto Uran Uran third on the same time as his team leader.
For Paolini, who won a stage on the 2006 Tour of Spain, it was an extra-special day.
“I had to wait until I was 36 to ride in the Giro! For one reason or another I’d never been on the starting line,” he said.
“I really went for this victory. I raced like it was a Classic and everything happened as I’d have hoped.
“I struggled on the last climb, which was climbed very fast, I gave my all and then I had a great descent.
“After our good team time-trial, I knew I would have the pink jersey if I won. I could take that pleasure as I crossed the line.”
The big winners were Evans and Hesjedal who needed to make up time after losing chunks on Sunday’s team time-trial.
Australian Evans took a 12sec time bonus for finishing second with Canada’s Hesjedal picking up 8sec.
Hesjedal is now seventh overall, 34sec back with Evans another 8sec behind that. Vincenzo Nibali is fifth at 31sec.
The Canadian was the main protagonist in an exciting end to the stage.
Around 20km from home Hesjedal’s Garmin team upped the pace on a tough gradient before their team leader sprung a surprise attack on that final climb.
Nibali’s Astana team took up the chase and reeled in Hesjedal but the reigning champion kept the pressure up on the descent before Paolini burst clear.
Hesjedal’s initial attack had momentarily dropped Evans but the BMC rider recovered and by the end he was the main winner amongst the overall contenders.
Wiggins finished comfortably in eighth place in the reduced bunch.
The big loser on the day was 2011 champion Michele Scarponi, who fell on the run-in, losing a whole batch of time.
He is now 1min 23sec off the lead.
“The two riders in front of me went down and I instinctively touched my brakes and found myself on the ground as well,” he said.
“Today I lost time but I won’t admit defeat.”
