"We knew it was going to be a tricky finish with the corners and the crosswinds. The guys did an amazing job in the last 6km to ride all the time at the front. I had two guys going a bit too early maybe, but they were over the moon with their performances. I was looking for a wheel to follow, I thought it was going to be too late but luckily I found a way through. I still had good power left so I was looking for a gap and Modolo stayed on his line so I found the gap and launched my sprint. Before this we were already happy with the Giro so far and now we have three of the seven stages so it has been amazing."
"Greipel is strongest, there’s nothing to say about it. I went past him because I want to anticipate the sprint. I thought I’d got it but then he passed me at twice my speed. There’s nothing I could have done to beat him, I gave it everything."
"I decided to stay on Greipel’s wheel in the finale and the team did a great job. When Lotto Soudal faded, I tried to go for but with the speed Greipel has, there wasn’t much I could do about it. I’ve taken eight second places in Giro sprints but I think its important to remember that were up against two great sprinters here: Greipel and Kittel. It’s not easy to beat them or win a Giro stage."
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"Nippo did a strange move again to get Cunego in the break. I think next time I’ll just push him into the break because it’s really annoying.
"On the climb they went really fast and there were a lot of attacks and the bunch split but I had Tobias Ludvigsson with me and eventually a good break went, and everything came back and it was fairly controlled.
"I did Strade Bianche two times and I really liked it. I’m looking forward to tomorrow.The time trial is a really important stage too. It’s one of my key points of the Giro for me. But it suits me and I hope to win it. It’s difficult to tell how much time I can gain on my rivals but I like the course, it’s up and down, but it means it also suits other riders like Nibali too.
"Of course I’m a little scared of third week, I didn’t go to altitude or train in the mountains for this Giro, I really surprised myself this week but I know the last week will be vey hard."
"When the escape was gone with three leaders, we thought the breakaway was gone but then the team of Cunego started to ride. I just followed Cunego and passed him before the line. It was not really my plan to take points.
"The plan was to help Andre as much as possible. In the final I did a little bit of work for him, and I am very happy that he won.
"I will try to take the next stages as breakaways, which is my biggest chance for a second stage win. The mountain jersey is not really an objective for me. I will just try to go for a second win. The mountain jersey is just a bonus. If you are in the breakaways it comes automatically."
"I am pretty happy with the white jersey, to still have it. It’s been real racing here every day. Sprinter stages in the Giro aren’t really sprinter stages. We were really unlucky because Marcel lost the wheel on the last climb and the team worked to bring him back but in the last kilometre he got a flat tire. It was a bit unlucky.
"Speaking for myself, it’s been really good so far and I hope to continue like this.
"Time trial has always been one of my favourite disciplines. I did the recon after Strade Bianche because we were so close, and tomorrow’s stage is a really hard one. Tomorrow we have another hard day with the gravel roads. We have a few guys with Trentin and Brambilla, so I think we have a good team for it. Let’s hope the weather is OK."
