It was very evenly and tightly on the third leg of De Panne-race Thursday. It was a short land tract leg that was running at 111.4 km.
A group of 12 riders were in breach long, but they were driven in good time before the finish, and there was once again Alexander Kristoff tone. He took his eighth win of the season, but Thursday was close to slipping on the line.
– It was hard at the end and very dense. Greipel got my wheel on the last few meters and came quickly, said Kristoff to Eurosport right after the first part of the third stage was over.
Greipel came quickly to him on the last few meters, and went long before organizers could proclaim a winner. It was not so easy to interpret photo finish after this millimeter failed.
Draws?
– I can not say which of us was first across the finish line. Maybe it was a draw, wondered Kristoff just after the finish line was passed, and while he waited for the decision.
German André Greipel came back from at the very last meters, but he did not reach until it turned out after the jury had studied photo finish. It boasts a few millimeters between them, and they went in Kristoffer favor.
– It has been three wonderful days for me here in De Panne, and there is no doubt that I have a good basis for the final time trial, said Kristoff.
He also commented sprint.
– The team did a great job for me, but Greipel managed to get my wheel towards the end. Therefore, it was so close, he commented.
The goal is the podium
– Now I got six-second bonus and it makes me even has a few seconds to go before the time trial later day. The means that I can not win all four victories on stages here, but I’ll do what I can in the summary.
– Because it is a short pace, I think that a space on the podium must be fully possible after it has happened until now, said Kristoff.
He boasted of the team that has helped him greatly. In particular, Sven Erik Bystrøm done a good job, but the U23 champion was not quite there in the lead on the short mass stage Thursday.
Part two of the third leg goes later Thursday.
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