Luca Paolini (Katusha) crossed the line a full 16 seconds ahead of an elite chasing pack after a nerveless descent into Marina di Ascea to win a thrilling third stage of the 2013 Giro d’Italia and claim the maglia rosa.
Cadel Evans (BMC Racing) may have been the biggest winner, however, after displaying a relentlessly competitive spirit to finish second and claim a 12-second time bonus that may prove crucial, ahead of defending champion, Ryder Hesjedal (Garmin-Sharp), who was third and collected an eight-second bonus.
Bradley Wiggins (Team Sky) finished eighth, in the same group as Evans, Hesjedal, and joint favourite, Vincenzo Nibali (Astana), but after an aggressive day’s racing, the Londoner failed to contest the final 500 metres, either unaware of the significance of the placings, or unwilling to accept the leader’s jersey a top-three finish would certainly have brought him. Wiggins is now second overall, 17 seconds behind Paolini.
The breathless run in to the finish, on a descent that saw several riders crash, including 2011 champion, Michele Scarponi (Lampre-Merida), capped a superb day of racing among the GC contenders, begun 30km from home when Hesjedal attacked on the approach to the summit of the second category Sella di Catona.
The Canadian’s team-mates set a ferocious pace on its lower slopes and as the road rose significantly, Hesjedal attacked, leaving the likes of Nibali, Wiggins, and Evans in little doubt that last year’s winner would not relinquish his crown without a fight.
Hesjedal passed the last rider from a day-long breakaway, Fabio Taborre (Vini Fantini), as they rode beneath the 25km to go banner, but seemed suddenly to realise that he had attacked too soon.
Astana, in the form of Nibali and team-mate, Valerio Agnoli, moved to the front on the short descent to the formal commencement of the Sella di Cantona, but when Agnoli attacked again, it was the defending champion who chased him down, sparking panic among the chasing group.
Paolini, winner in February of the Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, and who had shown impressive descending skills on the Poggio to place himself among the select group that contested the sprint at Milan-San Remo, accelerated effortlessly onto Hesjedal’s wheel. Evans’ lieutenant, Ivan Santaromita, made up a high-speed quartet suddenly riding clear of the favourites.
The first of a series of harum scarum descents ensued, with Hesjedal on the attack and Nibali, arguably the peloton’s best descender, scrambling after him, with Scarponi in close attendance. Carlos Betancur (Ag2r-La Mondiale) the 23-year-old revelation of the early season, quickly ran out of road, but suffered no lasting damage.
Wiggins and Uran made contact with the Hesjedal-Nibali-Paolini group as the descent flattened off, about 8.5km from home, with Agnoli driving the bunch as the road rose. When the descent resumed, however, the Team Sky duo hit the front, and Hesjedal suddenly looked tired.
Fatigue, however, was furthest from the mind of Paolini, who launched an offensive as soon as the road dropped again, prompting more nerve-shredding descending that this time ended the hopes of another Columbian, Jarlinson Gomez (Columbia-Coldeports). The significance of his misfortune was soon overshadowed by crashes involving the team leaders of Blanco and Lampre-Merida: Robert Gesink and Scarponi. While Gesink recovered, Scarponi looked on in disgust as his rivals sped past, his machine rendered inoperable by a sheered rear mech.
With Paolini safely onto the flat urban roads of Marnia di Ascea, the outcome of the stage was no longer in doubt, but Hesjedal, still not finished with his day of attacks, launched again, his latest effort curtailed by the Astana duo of Agnoli and Nibali.
Momentum among the elite chasing pack stalled soon after the final corner as the favourites looked at each other, suddenly aware that the opportunity for stage victory had passed. The wily Evans was the first to recover his senses, and while Wiggins rolled anonymously along the barriers, the Australian was sprinting, prompting yet another response from Hesjedal, who found himself unable to overhaul his rival.
Giro d’Italia 2013 – stage three – result
1) Luca Paolini (ITA) – Katusha – 5.43.50
2) Cadel Evans (AUS) – BMC Racing +16″
3) Ryder Hesjedal (CAN) – Garmin-Sharp – ST
4) Mauro Santambrogio (ITA) – Vini-Fantini
5) Samuel Sanchez (ESP) – Euskaltel
6) Giampaolo Caruso (ITA) – Katusha
7) Pieter Wiening (NED) – Orica-GreenEDGE
8) Bradley Wiggins (GBR) – Team Sky
9) Benat Intxausti (ESP) – Movistar
10) Robert Gesink (NED) – Blanco Pro Cycling
General classification
1) Luca Paolini (ITA) – Katusha – 9.04.32
2) Bradley Wiggins (GBR) – Team Sky +17″
3) Rigoberto Uran (COL) – Team Sky – ST
4) Benat Intxausti (ESP) – Movistar +26″
5) Vincenzo Niabli (ITA) – Astana +31″
6) Valerio Agnoli (ITA) – Astana – ST
7) Ryder Hesjedal (CAN) – Garmin-Sharp +34″
8) Giampaolo Caruso (ITA)- Katusha +36″
9) Yury Trofimov (RUS) – Katusha – ST
10) Sergio Henao (COL) – Team Sky +37″
