Tinkoff-Saxo deflected an array of attacks from its rival teams, while Alberto Contador himself responded to accelerations from Fabio Aru in the race finale. Consequently, Tinkoff-Saxo will spend the rest day still in the lead, while Alberto Contador notes that he already today felt progress with his injured shoulder and knee.
Finishing in a select group of favorites with Aru, Landa and Porte behind stage winner Paolo Tiralongo, Alberto Contador comments that he was happy with his sensations on the “unusual stage”.
“For me, it was one of the most unusual stages I have ever experienced. I don’t know how much everybody saw on TV but it was incredible throughout the stage. In the finale, I followed the attack from Aru and we agreed to work together. Aru took one second on me in the sprint, but it’s one second in a long Giro so it doesn’t worry me. The important thing is that I felt better today with my shoulder and knee, which I also hurt in the crash”, says Alberto Contador and adds about the work done to control the race.
“When the big breakaway rode away and extended the lead, we realized that we wouldn’t catch them, but at the end of the day standing here, it seems as if the day wasn’t bad at all and the team did a really good job in controlling the events on a very difficult stage”.
Looking ahead after the first week of Giro d’Italia 2015, the captain of Tinkoff-Saxo says that “the team and I now have a rest day, where we must focus on recovering. This is the first week of the Giro d’Italia done and the next big challenge will be the long time trial after some flatter stages. I’m really happy to have passed these last days and we can start looking ahead”.
The start of the 224km stage 9 to San Giorgio del Sannio was carried out at a roaring pace with high intensity that affected the entire stage, according to Tinkoff-Saxo’s sports director Steven de Jongh.
“It was a bloody hard stage and the boys did very well and rode a smart race. We are happy with the situation and how Alberto has made it through these last difficult days. Today we had lots of attacks from the start and a big group of riders took off. We took control at the front but the intensity was very high”, tells Steven de Jongh and adds:
