Cervelo and Saxo Bank’s tactics were very clear, they wanted to make things as hard as possible and get their men up there, and they certainly achieved their goals. They were the two big winners today. I know Thor Hushovd was upset yesterday, but he made up for that today and he’s taken a big advantage for the green jersey too, so it was a great day for him.

Saxo Bank did very well to get Andy Schleck up the road with Cancellara, although the loss of Frank is a blow. He was a co-leader of sorts with Andy, and had as good a chance as the likes of Lance Armstrong or Cadel Evans of making the podium, but I still think that the race for the yellow jersey is really between Andy and Alberto Contador.

Frank Schleck receives medical attention - Courtesy Roberto Bettini

Contador did a good job today on the cobbles and he limited the gap to Andy Schleck quite well. The only mistake Astana made was at the finish, when Vinokourov rode on the front and Contador lost contact. I want to give the benefit of the doubt to Vinokourov and say that it was just a breakdown in communication. You have to remember that the crowds were massive and the riders were on the rivet, so you can see how that might happen. Either way, it’s unfortunate for Contador, you just can’t afford to give time away like that.

So the winners today were Hushovd and Andy Schleck, obviously, and Cadel Evans can be pleased too. Wiggins did well also, and obviously Geraint Thomas did a great ride. Fabian Cancellara also worked his way back into yellow.

The big losers were definitely Lance Armstrong, Ivan Basso and Carlos Sastre. Armstrong will not be happy, he punctured at a very bad moment and it was very difficult after that for him. Still though, it’s only the third stage, there’s a long, long way to go and anything can happen.

Lance Armstrong chasing - Courtesy Roberto Bettini

Stage 3 results

1 Thor Hushovd (Nor) Cervelo Test Team 4:49:38
2 Geraint Thomas (GBr) Sky Professional Cycling Team
3 Cadel Evans (Aus) BMC Racing Team
4 Ryder Hesjedal (Can) Garmin – Transitions
5 Andy Schleck (Lux) Team Saxo Bank
6 Fabian Cancellara (Swi) Team Saxo Bank
7 Johan Van Summeren (Bel) Garmin – Transitions 0:00:53
8 Bradley Wiggins (GBr) Sky Professional Cycling Team
9 Jurgen Van Den Broeck (Bel) Omega Pharma-Lotto
10 Alexander Vinokourov (Kaz) Astana
11 Denis Menchov (Rus) Rabobank
12 Nicolas Roche (Irl) AG2R La Mondiale
13 Alberto Contador Velasco (Spa) Astana 0:01:13

GC after Stage 3:

1 Fabian Cancellara (Swi) Team Saxo Bank 14:54:00
2 Geraint Thomas (GBr) Sky Professional Cycling Team 0:00:23
3 Cadel Evans (Aus) BMC Racing Team 0:00:39
4 Ryder Hesjedal (Can) Garmin – Transitions 0:00:46
5 Sylvain Chavanel (Fra) Quick Step 0:01:01
6 Andy Schleck (Lux) Team Saxo Bank 0:01:09
7 Thor Hushovd (Nor) Cervelo Test Team 0:01:19
8 Alexander Vinokourov (Kaz) Astana 0:01:31
9 Alberto Contador Velasco (Spa) Astana 0:01:40
10 Jurgen Van Den Broeck (Bel) Omega Pharma-Lotto 0:01:42
11 Nicolas Roche (Irl) AG2R La Mondiale
12 Johan Van Summeren (Bel) Garmin – Transitions 0:01:47
13 Denis Menchov (Rus) Rabobank 0:01:49
14 Bradley Wiggins (GBr) Sky Professional Cycling Team
15 David Millar (GBr) Garmin – Transitions 0:02:06
16 Roman Kreuziger (Cze) Liquigas-Doimo 0:02:24
17 Luis León Sánchez Gil (Spa) Caisse d’Epargne 0:02:25
18 Lance Armstrong (USA) Team Radioshack 0:02:30
19 Thomas Löfkvist (Swe) Sky Professional Cycling Team 0:02:34
20 Jose Joaquin Rojas Gil (Spa) Caisse d’Epargne 0:02:35

Courtesy Scott Sunderland

Clad in a white skinsuit sporting the colors of the British time trial champion, Wiggins cranked out a time of 10 minutes, 18 seconds on the wet, technical circuit.

“I just did my race, that’s what I always do in time trials,” he said. “If I crashed, I crashed. I wasn’t going to touch my brakes.”

American Brent Bookwalter (BMC Racing Team) finished second on the day, two seconds slower than Wiggins, with teammate Cadel Evans third in the same time.

The Giro is the second successive grand tour to start in Holland. Last year’s Vuelta kicked off in the Netherlands, and the Tour de France will give Holland the hat trick with a start in the port city of Rotterdam in July.

The weather was decidedly not Italian — cold, cloudy and wet. The tricky course started in the Museumplein, home to two of the world’s best museums, the Riks and Van Gogh, and stormed past the Heineken brewery in the first kilometer.

Bradley Wiggins on his way to victory - Courtesy Graham Watson

Next the course drove right into the heart of Amsterdam, crossing the Amstel River, with the final 3km rolling through a residential part of town with better road conditions.

Xavier Tondo (Cervélo TestTeam) praised the course, if not the conditions.

“They did a great job for an urban course. Even where the route passes train tracks, they’ve put in buffers to make it safer. It’s an excellent course and not dangerous at all,” he said. “What makes it dangerous is the rain. You don’t know how fast to go into the corners.”
Larsson, Bookwalter set early marks

Gustav Erik Larsson (Saxo Bank) started 60th and set the early best time of 10 minutes, 25 seconds. It would stand for quite a while. Marco Pinotti (HTC-Columbia), starting 110th, nearly knocked Larsson off his perch, but missed by just two seconds, slotting into second.

Bookwalter finally got the job done — the 2006 U.S. under-23 time trial champ started 144th and muscled his bike across the line to clip five seconds off Larsson’s time and take over the lead.

Team Sky sprinter Greg Henderson also turned in a fine performance, briefly slotting into second behind Bookwalter at three seconds back.

Time trial specialist David Millar (Garmin-Transitions) was next to just miss dethroning Bookwalter, by just four seconds.

And then Wiggins roared through to take the lead by two seconds, averaging nearly 49 kph and pushing Bookwalter into the runner-up spot. (More on Bookwalter’s time trial)

The man widely considered a favorite to win the Giro, world road champ Evans, nearly avenged his BMC teammate, but fell just short, slotting into third with a 10:20.

And that’s the way the podium would stay — Wiggins took the win and the first maglia rosa of the 2010 Giro d’Italia, with Bookwalter second and Evans third.

“For me, to win here is one of the most beautiful days of my career. The maglia rosa is one of the most iconic jerseys in cycling,” Wiggins said. “It’s a big honor to win here. I knew I had good chances, but you never know what the others can do. I just focused on my ride and I was lucky enough to win.

“Wearing the maglia rosa is special. You’re following a long line of riders like Coppi to Bugno. To add your name to that list of riders who’ve worn the jersey is special.”

Race notes

* The Italians: Gilberto Simoni (Lampre), had a disappointing start to what will be his final Giro, finishing 156th at 56 seconds back. Michele Scarponi (Androni) and Filippo Pozzato (Katusha) also turned in less-than-stellar performances, finishing 33rd at 0:21 and 66th at 0:32, respectively. Stefano Garzelli (Acqua e Sapone) crossed 30th at 0:20, while Ivan Basso (Liquigas) crossed 27th at 0:23.

* The Dutch: Jos Van Emden (Rabobank) cracked the top 10 for the home crowd, finishing ninth at nine seconds back.

* The others: Alexander Vinovourov (Astana) turned in a fine time, crossing in 10:23 for fourth, while Carlos Sastre (Cervélo) finished 42nd at 0:25.

Top five results

* 1. Bradley Wiggins (GBR), Team Sky, 8.4km in 10:18 (48.9kph)
* 2. Brent Bookwalter (USA), BMC Racing Team at 0:02
* 3. Cadel Evans (AUS), BMC Racing Team at 0:02
* 4. Alexandre Vinokourov (KAZ), Astana at 0:05
* 5. Greg Henderson (NZL), Team Sky at 0:05

Courtesy Andrew Hood and Agence France Presse

European air travel has been restricted following a volcanic eruption in Iceland, which has sent a cloud of particulates across northern European air corridors.

According to a Sky team announcement, Wiggins has been unable to get a flight from his home in Girona, Spain, to the Netherlands in time to reach the start line in Maastricht, the Netherlands, in time for Sunday’s hilly 258-kilometer classic. His teammate, Chris Froome, was delayed by flight cancellations, but will drive to Holland from his home in Tuscany.

The team said that its remaining riders have been in the area for most of the week and will easily reach the start on Sunday. Kjell Carlström, Russell Downing, Simon Gerrans and Davide Vigano went direct from Wednesday’s Brabantse Pijl race in Belgium and they were joined by Lars-Petter Nordhaug and Mathew Hayman.

That means Sky will meet the required minimum number of six riders when the team finalizes its line up on Saturday afternoon. Other teams are also thought to have been affected.

Sastre’s Cervélo team announced Saturday that the Madrid-based rider’s flight had been cancelled, while Ukrainian Volodymyr Gustov pulled out for the same reason.

Another Amstel contender, Valverde, was forced out late on Saturday when he and two other Caisse d’Epargne teammates, Luis Leon Sanchez and Luis Pasamontes, were unable to fly out of Madrid.

European regulators have closed airports and cancelled flights as a precautionary measure since the particulates from an eruption can seriously damage jet engines.

Sastre said that if flights are resumed in time, he intends to take part in Wednesday’s Fleche Wallonne, a race he had originally not planned to contest.

“It’s an act of God,” said race director Leo van Vliet. “Nothing can be done against this. Several teams have contacted our organization and they are already taking all possible measures so that they can be (here) on time.”

“The flights were to take Friday Sastre, Gustov and Xavier Tondo were canceled,” the Cervélo team announced Saturday. “For Tondo, we found a solution by car. For Sastre and Gustov, we were dependent on getting flights.”

courtesy www.velonews.com

Norwegian national champ Edvald Boasson Hagen was the first rider from Sky to cross the line, and thereby takes the leader’s jersey for Monday’s 147km stage.

“Oh, it was hard,” Boasson Hagen said. “But it was perfect. Everyone is riding really well. It was a success for the whole team.”

Cervélo TestTeam came across the line in 9:49, the same as Garmin, but race officials dinged the team with a minute penalty for one rider pushing another, slotting them into last place on the day.

Tour of Qatar organisers specified that the TTT be ridden on standard road bikes and gear — saving all the teams the hassle and expense of traveling with TT bikes and equipment.

Garmin-Transitions races to second. Photo: Graham Watson

Garmin’s Danny Pate summed up the sensations of the short, violent effort. “It feels horrible,” he said. “In that kind of race, the guy that wins feels just like the guy that got last. It was a little tricky given the distance and the wind. It was tail, cross, head. We did a bit of both rotating paceline and single paceline. That kind of effort is never going to be smooth because of the wind. But no one does it perfect.”

Even Sky’s winning ride wasn’t perfect.

“We had a bit of a break in the line there at the end,” said team director Scott Sunderland. “Ian (Stannard) committed himself there, and rode the gap closed. Okay, that was the finish for him, but that allowed the fifth and sixth rider to get back on.”

Sky’s Russell Downing explained another kink.

“At 2km to go it was really hard,” Downing said. “Someone shouted to up the speed a little. That was for me to do. I think I upped it a K or so. The boys were happy, but then I was in a box after that. I had done my long turn, and I was just about to get back in. I saw that Ian and Kurt had dropped the wheel, so I had to get back in on Lars. And I was nailed. So I just held on.”

Fabian Cancellara and Saxo Bank finished third. Photo: Graham Watson.

Wearing his white British national TT champ skinsuit, team captain Bradley Wiggins was all smiles.

“We had a plan, and we were able to stick to it,” Wiggins said. “We were trying to make the most of the guys who would be stronger on the flat. There are different levels of fitness, and there are always going to be stronger guys and weaker guys. But once we were out there, the guys were just holding speed, it was amazing, and doing longer pulls or shorter pulls as necessary to keep it steady.”

Although some teams were visibly discouraged after the TTT, Saxo Bank’s Cancellara didn’t seem bothered at all with third.

“It was nothing special,” he said. “It’s the first race; actually it’s not a race, it’s a prologue in the end. But I’m here to get some race kilometers. We have a good solid team. I’m really looking forward to this week, next week (at the Tour of Oman) and especially the classics. It’s good training.”

For the rest of the week, Wiggins said Sky would take it stage by stage.

“We don’t have an out-and-out sprinter,” he said. “This was our first big objective, and we’ll see the rest of the week. Obviously crosswinds are going to play a big part. Quick Step are masters at this race, but we hope to be there as well.”