Filippo Ganna and Mathieu van der Poel performed Milan-San Remo cat and mouse through the ultimate kilometres of the rain-soaked 239km Tirreno-Adriatico third stage to Colfirito on the excessive plains of central Italy.
With 3.5km to go on the stage, Ganna made a solo assault on the gradual climb to the 760m excessive plain, whereas Tom Pidock (Q36.5) was initially unable to shut the hole.
Van der Poel had eyed the stage and appeared properly suited to the regularly rising ultimate 10km. He surged throughout to Ganna with 1.5km to go, stopping the race chief from taking a second stage win.
However, the Dutchman had no reply when Andrea Vendrame (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale) hit the entrance and received the dash. Van der Poel completed twentieth on the line earlier than shortly disappearing to his Alpecin-Deceuninck workforce bus to get heat.
After six-and-a-half hours of racing, Ganna nonetheless needed to full the rostrum protocol afterwards, however had no regrets about his late assault – or the truth that Van der Poel had chased it down.
“When you are racing to win, you do not fear about your rivals. I’d have performed the identical to him,” Ganna stated after the stage, with no animosity.
“I’ve acquired a whole lot of respect for him however once we’re on the bike, it is race on. If we might gone away collectively, we would have stayed away…”
Both Ganna and Van der Poel have been testing their type after six hours of racing within the rain and chilly. In 10 days they’ll conflict with Tadej Pogačar and different Classics and dash stars over the 289km of the season’s first Monument, Milan-San Remo.
“I attempted to go early to see how I felt after six hours of racing. It was a great check for the subsequent lengthy races,” Ganna defined.
“I might have waited for the dash however while you really feel like attacking, you need to observe your intuition and go for it. I wished to win. I can solely thank the workforce. We raced onerous and defended the jersey once more.
“It was simply me and Laurens de Plus within the ultimate kilometres and he is concentrating on the GC, so I did not need to take dangers within the dash.
“I did not win however it’s proof that my legs are good. Sometimes you have to push your limits, see how you’re feeling and attempt to enhance.”
