Jonathan Hivert takes over the lead from teammate Engoulvent after fast, hilly stage
Giacomo Nizzolo (RadioShack-Leopard) took his first win of the 2013 season as he sprinted to victory at the head of a much-reduced peloton at the end of the second stage of the Skoda Tour de Luxembourg, between Shifflange and Walferdange. The Italian, who had almost crashed in the previous day’s sprint finish, finished in front of Marko Kump (Saxo-Tinkoff) and Paul Martens (Blanco) at the end of a tough 173km course.
“Today was not easy,” Nizzolo said afterwards. “Especially because the guys in the breakaway went so fast and the peloton didn’t give them much space so we all went fast the entire day. Then in the final we had the hard climb with many, many attacks. At the bottom for the last time, I asked the guys to help me, especially Bob Jungels. I have to say a big, big thank you to him. This is his home race and he gave 100% to me.
“The sprint, with just 25 riders left, was not in one line as we approached the finish,” Nizzolo added. “The Saxo-Tinkoff rider Kump went first and I went on his wheel until I started my sprint at 100 meters to go. It’s funny because he is the guy who hit my wheel yesterday and broke my derailleur so I didn’t win, but today I won and he was second.”
After a frenetic beginning to the stage Thomas De Gendt (Vacansoleil-DCM), Sébastien Turgot (Europcar) and Mattia Pozzo (Vini Fantini-Selle Italia) managed to escape on the hilly parcours. The trio managed to build up a maximum lead of 5’30” by th e95km point before the peloton began to chase.
With 50km to go the trio’s lead was down to three minutes as De Gendt attacked alone. Turgot and Pozzo were soon caught by the peloton but, as he crossed the finish line to start the two 13.6km finishing circuits, the Belgian was still 50 seconds ahead of the peloton with a group of eight riders in between.
De Gendt was caught on the first of the tough, rolling circuit, as the peloton was broken up by the pace set on the front. Before the end of the lap, however, Jan Bakelants (RadioShack-Leopard) managed to escape, with Yukiya Arashiro (Europcar), Steve Chainel (AG2R La Mondiale) and Bruno Pires (Saxo Tinkoff). The quartet was eleven seconds clear as they neared the end of the circuit, but were soon caught.
The peloton was down to less than 30 riders by now and, with RadioShack-Leopard driving into the finish, Nizzolo took the sprint and his first victory of the season.
Race leader Jimmy Engoulvent (Sojasun) finished in the middle of the final group on the road, 12’45” behind Nizzolo and - with second place Danny van Poppel (Vacansoleil-DCM) also losing 25 seconds to the stage winner - the yellow jersey passed over to Engoulvent’s Sojasun teammate Jonathan Hivert, who had finished in seventh place.
Result stage 3
1. Giacomo Nizzolo (Ita) RadioShack-Nissan
2. Marko Kump (Slo) Team Saxo-Tinkoff
3. Paul Martens (Ger) Blanco Pro Cycling
4. Marco Marcato (Ita) Vacansoleil-DCM
5. Manuel Belletti (Ita) AG2R La Mondiale
6. Vincent Jerome (Fra) Team Europcar
7. Jonathan Hivert (Fra) Sojasun
8. Alexei Tsatevich (Rus) Katusha Team
9. Manuele Boaro (Ita) Team Saxo-Tinkoff
10. Egoitz Garcia (Spa) Cofidis
Standings after stage 3
1. Jonathan Hivert (Fra) Sojasun
2. Matthias Brändle (Aut) IAM Cycling @ 2s
3. Paul Martens (Ger) Blanco Pro Cycling @ 3s
4. Damien Gaudin (Fra) Team Europcar @ 5s
5. Bob Jungels (Lux) RadioShack-Leopard @ 6s
6. Marco Marcato (Ita) Vacansoleil-DCM
7. Robert Gesink (Ned) Blanco Pro Cycling @ 7s
8. Maarten Wynants (Bel) Blanco Pro Cycling @ 8s
9. Sébastien Hinault (Fra) IAM Cycling @ 9s
10. Jan Bakelants (Bel) RadioShack-Leopard