Vincenzo Nibali (Liquigas-Doimo) is poised to win the Italian Championships Saturday thanks to his good form following the Giro d'Italia. Proving so, yesterday, he won the third stage of the Tour de Slovénie in Krvavec.
"This was the stage that intrigued me the most, and the uphill finish lent itself to the attacks I like," Nibali told La Gazzetta dello Sport. "I told my team-mates at breakfast to be ready."
Nibali made his move near 13 kilometres remaining in the 171-kilometre stage from Bled to Krvavec. He finished solo to take his third win of the year, less than one month after his solo win stage win to Asolo at the Giro d'Italia. Giovanni Visconti (ISD-Neri) finished second at 43 seconds back, making for a Sicilian one-two.
"I was just trying to hold a steady pace after I escaped," added Nibali, "keeping it regular over the final kilometres."
Nibali just came back from a high-altitude training camp in the Italian Dolomites. There he prepared with Liquigas' likely captain for the Tour de France, Giro d'Italia winner Ivan Basso.
"I took part in three criteriums after the Giro d'Italia, and then I went straight to San Pellegrino. I was not there for intense training like Basso, who preparing for the Tour de France. My goal now is the national championships Saturday in Conegliano."
The organisers designed a hard national championships course this year. In Conegliano, north of Treviso, the riders will race 11 circuits of 23.6 kilometres -- 259 kilometres and 5000 metres of climbing in total.
"It seems designed just for me, but I'll pay special attention Visconti. Also [Riccardo] Riccò and [Matteo] Carrara, who is going well in Switzerland, will be players."
Before facing his rivals on Saturday, though, Nibali will wrap up the Tour de Slovénie. Yesterday, he took the overall lead and should win the final classification after today's stage, one suited to sprinters.