Zdenek has won the third stage of the Eneco Tour. Our Czech was the strongest of a group of three after 187 kilometers. He was faster than the Argentine Ariel Maximiliano Richeze and Dutchman Lars Boom. “I’m very happy with this victory. It’s my first one since that stage in the Tour of Poland last year.”
“It was another hectic and chaotic day today”, said our champion. “Narrow roads, roundabouts, windy… In the final on the local rounds there were a lot of gaps in the peloton. But because we rode together as a team we could maintain our good position in the peloton.”
Omega Pharma-Quick Step decided to go for Alessandro Petacchi again. “But the stage didn’t finish in a group sprint. Lotto-Belisol made a mistake by going too early for the sprint and André Greipel left a gap open for Jürgen Roelandts just before the last kilometer. Some riders went along, and so did I.”
“With 500 meters to go I looked behind and I saw that the peloton was too far behind. I decided to go my own chance. I knew that the arrival was particularly difficult with the wind and so I waited for as long as possible. And it turned our perfect for me! I made it!”
“I’m very happy with this victory. Maybe I should sleep with a climber in the room next time, because now I lie with Petacchi in the room, and I win a sprint”, laughs Styby, who will start tomorrow for his own crowed in Essen during the fourth stage.