"I'm happy with two victories, the legs are now responding the way we wanted. This victory isn't just for me, it's for my team and my family and everyone that supported me. My family is here and it's beautiful to give them this gift. The whole team worked perfectly. We were able to take the win here, now we'll leave the islands and head to the mainland and we'll see what happens.
"We wanted to take some points because we were down a few – we wanted to take this jersey. We managed to get the points we needed and we did it in the best way."
"It was a dangerous and crazy final to be honest. I'm super happy that Fernando took the victory, but it cost me a lot of nerves here in Messina. It was amazing to see so many people on the streets, but it's also sometimes very dangerous because people want to take the pictures and selfies and whatever, and they come closer and closer to the road. When there's a bunch coming of 200 people it's dangerous, but that's cycling.
"I will try to keep the maglia rosa at least until Sunday. I think Sunday is an important day for the climbers on Blockhhaus, and we'll see what happens there."
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"I'm very happy because the guys have done a very good job in the first five stages. We've won two stages, changed the pink jersey with two riders. Today was a perfect day, there were only two riders in front, Lotto Soudal and Orica also wanted a sprint and helped us. We waited a bit then started pulling full gas. Gaviria and the rest of the team did a perfect final and we won again."
"I'm happy, I certainly feel better. I look back and I couldn't have imagined I'd be third today. I had a short glimpse of hope when I thought I'd make it, but I ran out of steam. The guys did a fantastic job – they couldn't have done any more.
"We timed the run to perfection, but I didn't know there was that much headwind. I hit out with 200 metres to go, but Gaviria was on the wheel and he was able to go and I didn't have the strength to hold him off. I don't feel back to full strength after being ill – I was struggling on the climbs – but I'm going in the right direction. I have the trust of team, and that gives me a lot of confidence, and I'd like to thank them for that."
"I'm pretty happy with my sprint today – it's probably the best one I've done in my career. I've finally managed to do a sprint at the Giro d'Italia. I managed to get through the hilly first part of the stage pretty well. Then Zhupa lead me in the final kilometre and dropped me off with the sprinters.
"It was tricky because of the headwind. Gaviria managed to get the jump and I just had way too much to do to catch him. I got second and that's still a pretty good result.
"I'm happy because compared to the earlier sprints I'm feeling better and feeling stronger."
"We're really happy. At the start Gaviria said he wasn't in great shape – he was suffering a bit. We knew he'd probably feel better as the stage went on and once he got through that tricky moment we started to work well as a team. We had a good group of teammates to get him up towards that finish line.
Bart Leysen (Lotto Soudal DS)
"Of course, we are disappointed, but the guys did a really good job today, they were all there. It was just at the last roundabout where we lost too many places, and he said 'there I lost my sprint'. But that's how it is. We did everything for Andre [Greipel]. A sprint always has to go at exactly the right moment to come off. It's a little bit disappointing but the guys did all they could and there will be more chances to come."
