2016 Giro d’Italia Stage 3: Kittel repeats in Arnhem, leads race

For the second consecutive day, Marcel Kittel (Germany/Etixx-QuickStep) was dominant in Sunday’s bunch sprint, winning easily in Arnhem, the Netherlands. With the victory, Kittel pulls on the pink jersey, assuming the mantle from Tom Dumoulin (The Netherlands/Giant-Alpecin). Kittel is the first German to wear the pink in 10-years.

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Here is Stage 3 winner @marcelkittel enjoying the crowds before the start pic.twitter.com/arzWXTLS80

— Canadian Cycling Mag (@CanadianCycling) May 8, 2016

Once more Dutchman Maarten Tjallingii (LottoNL-Jumbo) and Italian Giacomo Berlato (Nippo-Vini Fantini) were in the break, this time with two others. They slipped away soon after the start in Nijmegen and pulled out a maximum gap of 8:00.

The break / La fuga@berlato92, @mtjallingii, Julen Amezqueta, @vanSnail #giro pic.twitter.com/FYkBc1j2rb

— Giro d'Italia (@giroditalia) May 8, 2016

In a crash reminiscent of last year’s wreck that let AG2R’s Domenico Pozzovivo with head injuries, AG2R’s Jean-Christophe Peraud went down in a roundabout and suffered facial injuries that forced him to become the Giro’s first withdrawal.

Soon before the first intermediate sprint at 70-km to go, IAM came to the front of the peloton and utilized the crosswinds to split the peloton to pieces. It took 14-km for the field to reform. By that time the gap was 2:55.

Tjallingii sprinted to top the day’s only climb and took over the blue KOM jersey from Omar Fraile (Spain/Dimension Data) at the end of the stage.

Like Saturday, there were circuits in the finishing city, this time two of 14-km in Arnhem. Entering the first circuit, the intrepid quartet held just over a two-minute gap. Etixx pulled the peloton towards the leaders. Near the end of Lap 1, another split appeared in the field.

Johan Van Zyl (South Africa/Dimension Data) attacked his breakmates and a crash in the peloton put even more riders out the back. Several teams, including Lotto-Soudal and LottoNL-Jumbo, assembled at the front of the streamlined peloton.

With 4-km to go, Van Zyl’s gap was still over 30-seconds. Etixx took responsibility of bringing him back, the snatch coming with 1.8-km remaining.

Fabio Sabatini (Italy) led out Kittel, with Giacomo Nizzolo lurking, but no one could touch the German, who will exchange his red kit for a pink one.

All the GC favourites, including Ryder Hesjedal, finished in the pack. Hesjedal moves up to 29th.

The Giro now takes an early rest day to transfer to the south of Italy, where the riders will see what is considered to be the first medium-mountains stage.

2016 Giro d’Italia Stage 3
1) Marcel Kittel (Germany/Etixx-QuickStep) 4:23:45
2) Elia Viviani (Italy/Sky) s.t.
3) Giacomo Nizzolo (Italy/Trek-Segafredo) s.t.
76) Ryder Hesjedal (Canada/Trek-Segafredo) s.t.
154) Hugo Houle (Canada/AG2R) +6:03
195) Svein Tuft (Canada/Orica-GreenEdge) +7:39

2016 Giro d’Italia GC
1) Marcel Kittel (Germany/Etixx-QuickStep) 9:13:10
2) Tom Dumoulin (The Netherlands/Giant-Alpecin) +0:09
3) Andrey Amador (Costa Rica/Movistar) +0:15
29) Ryder Hesjedal (Canada/Trek-Segafredo) +0:42
152) Hugo Houle (Canada/AG2R) +7:02
170) Svein Tuft (Canada/Orica-GreenEdge) +8:14