Sprinters hope that Pogacar keeps quiet, the pink jersey himself explains why he cannot promise anything

A new day and most likely a new sprint in the Giro today! Today the riders have a nice, flat finish, but not before they have conquered the tricky Capo Mele. What do the favorites think of the finish? They shed light on today’s and yesterday’s ride, prior to the start in Acqui Terme in front of the cameras of Eurosport and Cyclingpro.net.

From a Dutch perspective, Olav Kooij is the man to look out for. And he is feeling a bit better after his fall two days ago. ‘Yesterday the body felt good, after the fall. So that’s nice. Yesterday was fun to join the flight, to race for a bit. I hope that as a team we can continue to combine the classification and the sprint. I want to be dropped off well in the last kilometer today. Positioning becomes crucial here. It is difficult to chase Thomas and Pogacar, so that took some energy during the lead-out. Things didn’t go perfectly for me yesterday. The day has to suit me and the team today!’

Lund Andresen is betting on Jakobsen today, Girmay hopes for the final without Pogacar

Tobias Lund Andresen finished fifth yesterday and today’s final should also suit the fast Dane. However, he will ideally give the turn to teammate Fabio Jakobsen today. ”I felt good on the climb yesterday. I tried as long as possible. Hopefully I can participate longer today. Fabio will find out about it today, on the climb! Then it really is a sprint for him. We want to be among the first twenty to enter Capo Mele. The last three kilometers then become very fast. The roundabout at the end is difficult and hectic. Hopefully we can get through it quickly and safely.”

Biniam Girmay did even better on Monday. He finished third and is satisfied with his form. The Eritrean from Intermarché-Wanty hopes that the final will be a little clearer than during stage three. ”I think the sprint went very well yesterday. It’s nice to be in the top three, it gives confidence. It was a bit of a panic yesterday, haha. Pogi and Thomas in front, then it gets serious. But we moved quickly and got them back. Today I hope they keep quiet. The end is easier, faster. I hope things are clearer today. Don’t let him (Pogacar) attack today! Today, however, that becomes easier for us as sprinters. We have to attack the climb well and then stay at the front.’

Tadej Pogacar explains why he was at the front and doesn’t rule anything out for the fourth stage

Then the pink sweater wearer. Today, if everything goes smoothly, he does not want to play a role in the final. But, he says in front of the camera at the start, there is a reason for being so alert at the front. ”Yesterday didn’t cost me much energy. I wanted to be in a good position and that’s why I followed Honoré. I finished in the attack, but the stress level is high in the peloton. I don’t think it took any more energy actually. We just have to survive. That’s also why I sit at the front. We do have to think about energy distribution. The gravel stage will show a lot about the form among the competitors. Only then will we start climbing. I’m not hoping for an attack today, but I can’t promise anything either.”