Stage Favourites:
***Kittel(EUS) **Farrar(RIM) *Boasson Hagen(RAB)

With the last 80 kilometres exceedingly flat this stage should end up in a sprint.

With 156 kilometres to go a 6 man break is established including Trentin and Taborre (9th @'26 seconds) who was in the break yesterday, when our German Stamm bridged across to the break. 6:00 ahead of the peloton.

However, almost as soon as Stamm joined the break, he was dropped..... for good as the other riders sprinted for the KOM points. As a result he was in no mans land for much of the stage, poor fitness the main reason, the Giro wasn't originally on his schedule put our squad doesn't have great strength in depth.

Taborre (Wilier) would wrap up enough points in the KOM competition to move into the lead, he will wear that jersey on stage 4.

About time! After yesterday, Rabobank, Euskaltel and RIM were willing to chase down the break, which got a maximum advantage of 10:00. The break was caught with 12 kilometres to go, Trentin the last survivor, Stamm well out the rear of the peloton.

With 5 kilometres to go Swiss champ Wyss and Aistrup (ISS) attack, a long shot with a sprint on the cards. Felline was our man for today with Rojas not feeling good, Felline was on the wheel of Farrar......

as the two late brave escapees were caught. But Farrar had no leadout whatsoever, meaning he and Felline were well out of position. Euskaltel and Rabobank with the sprint trains.

Rabobank looks to be the strongest but there not working for the world champ. Instead Boasson Hagen is working for Swift and puts in a great leadout....

and Swift wins the first bunch sprint of this Giro! Well executed. A quite day for our team with Stage 4, being a really hilly day and a GC shake up inevitable, on the horizon after the early rest day. Veteran journeyman Ferrari retains the GC lead.

STAGE RESULTS:

GENERAL AFTER STAGE 3:

STAGE 5: Grand Synthe - Dunkerque 174 KM's

FINAL GC:

The first rest day in the Giro came early on, we have only raced three stages including a prologue. After discussing the race tactics, everyone did some cycling, apart from Roche who is suffering quite a bit with his scrapes and bruises he picked up in his fall on stage 2. We followed this by a trip to one of the many beaches in Manfedonia, along the Adriatic sea, we even brought our new python Prisha with us....not a good idea.

When we had all soaked up the rays after playing hyper frisbee we were ready to go back to the team bus, one problem someone had opened Prisha's container and the python was slowly slivering along the beach. Fortunately our German rider, Hoffmann, knows a thing or two about animals....

The crazy guy somehow managed to find a deceased rabbit among the dunes. He placed said rabbit in the container and if by magic Prisha slivered along back and winded into the container I briskly shut the lid on the container, all was well, at last!

We can't risk this in the future, maybe one of the Qatari's knows how to snake charm...or python charm!

STAGE 4: Manfredonia - Campobasso 188 KM's

Stage Favourites:
***Gesink(AGS) **Henao(YTE) *Hermans(RAB)

Todays stage is a hilly one with a difficult last thirty kilometres. The latter half of the race includes the Colle dell'Oro climb, 10 kilometres averaging 3.2%, starting with 50 kilometres to go and the Colle Longo, 7.6 kilometres averaging 4.7% starting with 20 kilometres to go.

The race favourites are the GC men put the stage may go to a late attack from a quality puncheur/ strongman, we will most likely go with Felline, who may challenge for victory if on a good day.

A 7 man break got away including best placed rider Porsev (10th @'29 seconds), we would have liked to put Feillu in the break but we just didn't go with the move.

Farnese Vini were defending the leaders jersey for much of the first half of the race.

But with 90 kilometres to go with the break no danger at 6:20 the peloton speed up, Bretagne possibly for Kelderman and Youtube for Henao were the main pace setters.

With 35 kilometres to go Belka (Argos) attacks with the break @ 2:00 and quickly makes his way to the front of the race and attacks the break, he is riding strongly solely and is holding a good gap.

With 30 kilometres to go our supposed Leader Roche is suffering. He is dropped once we send Clarke back to bring him back, he is dropped again same procedure. But the third time round this is not so, clearly Roche is suffering big time from his crash even suffering more than an out of form Clarke for much of the day.

With 20 kilometres to go V.D.B. is dropped, as Belka has 2:00 over the peloton. Our riders who look the freshest are Feillu and Kritskiy, we may well play one of these cards. However, Rojas and Feiilu are still in the peloton.

With 10 kilometres to go Belka still has 1'40 over the peloton.

But on the testing terrain with Aistrup (ISS) putting in the odd attack he really cracks and is brought back with 5 kilometres to go on the sapping terrain. Kritskiy is looking good right up towards the front.

Then..... with 3 kilometres to go Kritskiy attacks. The big Russian breaks away with Leonardo Moser, Belarussian Kvotchinski and Aistrup, an unlikely group.

The group hit the final narrow slopes up to Campobasso, with around '13 over the peloton.

Moser sets the pace, out of the saddle. Aistrup is dropped. The finish only few hundred meters away.. C'mon Kritskiy!

We do it. Stage win in the Giro for Qatar Optics! What a performance from Kritskiy, powering around the last corner to pass Moser for the win. What a monumental moment for us. What a race. YES YES YES!

For his efforts Kritskiy moves into the points lead. He is/has developing/developed into one real quality rider. Ferrari finishes with the big group and maintains the GC lead. But who cares, a stage win is ours, marvellous!

STAGE RESULTS:

GENERAL AFTER STAGE:

STAGE 5: Campobasso - Pescara 165 KM's

Stage Favourites:
***Kittel(EUS) **Farrar(RIM) *Kummer(EUS)

With more downhill than climbing this is one for the sprinters.

As we were unlikely to reach the dizzy heights of yesterday, today was a stage where we could relax and take it easy, Kritskiy takes some water whilst wearing the points jersey. With easy winds and gentle terrain, to be dropped today you would have to be suffering like a dog.

After many early break attempts were unsuccessful two riders broke clear with 100 kilometres to go. Offredo (Dyson) and Taborre (Wilier), Taborre was best placed @ 4'54, both were no danger. But the break was purely about exposure, surely they knew the chance of success was slim at best. Especially since the sprinter teams started taking up the chase with 60 kilometres to go.

With 35 kilometres to go the break have 3:20 before the peloton really speeds up. With 18 kilometres to go VanMarcke bridges across to the two men out front, Tabore gets dropped.

Before VanMarcke attacks Offredo, with 2 kilometres to go VanMarcke has a very slender advantage over the peloton and the only sprint train of Euskaltel..

VanMarcke is caught. Kummer leads out Kittel with Farrar on his wheel, Farrar can come out of the slipstream and in a close finish will take the stage from Swift. Win for RIM. The GC stays the same, Felline and Rojas just miss out on the top 10 and show they can't really compete the top places in the pan flat sprints.

STAGE RESULTS:

GENERAL AFTER STAGE: