Giro d'Italia - Stage 3

Youth
1 Aru (AST)
2 Majka (SAX)
3 Betancur (AG2R)
4 Kelderman (BLA)
5 Rosa (AND)

Lanterne Rouge Tiralongo (AST)

Points classification
1 Paolini (KAT)
2 Cavendish (OPQ)
3 Evans (BMC)
4 Viviani (CAN)
5 Hesjedal (GAR)

Only Paolini for me from the top 10, not as great as I'd hoped, was tempted to load up on GC guys but held back, bugger.

Paolini, eh?
had mr nibbles and santambrogio too, so pretty happy with that

Wiggins 8th, looks like a day where safe GC picks worked out well.

Good work from Wiggins to avoid the maglia rosa, Sky will be happy with that I think.

Finally, I pulled off a timely transfer.

Paolini
Evans
Hesjedal

Good work by Hesjedal to pick up some time too thanks to bonuses.

Paolini wins! You beauty! Stage win and maglia Rosa too

Nice pick Dr H

Final mountain classification end stage 3
1 Wauters (VCD)
2 Visconti (MOV)
3 Boaro (SAX)
4 Wurf (CAN)
5 Aru (CAN)

And Paolini attacks

Hope he can stay clear.

Right - been out all day but watching now. Totally unpredictable stage so I bottled out of my transfers and just swapped a couple of my cheap TTT guys for other cheap guys - Gatto and Bole in for Zandio and Keukeleire. Still have 4 sprinters so could be a total disaster today - may be best for me if the break stays out, even though I don't have anyone in it!

Does this mean that bringing Puccio in was a poor move?

Shudda picked taaborre. He wins The Sprint.

Taborre at 22" behind on GC is best placed of these.

Wauters at 34" behind is best placed on Youth.

Sky won't mind this.

Excellent, Pantano is in my purists.

I made four changes, Nibali, Visconti, Paolini, Felline in, Cav, Viviani, Chicchi, Ferrari out to give me

Nibali
Paolini
Felline
Visconti
Bouhanni
Bennati
Dehaes
Mezgec
Gavazzi

Taborre (VIN)
Wauters (VCD)
Baoro (SAX)
Pantano (COL)
Bellemakers (LOT)
Rodriguez (AND)
De Backer (ARG)
have about 4.30 lead

Jackson Rodriguez - AND

Dirk Bellemakers - LTB

Fabio Taborre - VIN

Manuele Boaro - STT

Bert De Backer - ARG

Jarlinson Pantano Gomez - COL

Willem Wauters - VCD

Looks to be the break of the day with 5mins+

I'm getting the GC guys in bit by bit.......starting with the best 2 descenders in the race(in my opinion):

Sanchez and Nibali in for Cavendish and Howard

Sanchez
Nibali
Wurf
Puccio
Goss
Navardauskas
Oliveira
Aru
Haas

I didn't really know what to do, so I brought in Visconti and Viscioso, but who knows what will happen, the only thing im lacking is a GC guy...

Phinney
Haas
Visconti
Viscioso
Zandio
Wynants
Cav
Bouhanni
Gavazzi

Don't know, tomorrow is a tough day and one where Puccio will likely not finish in the front group.

Given that Sky wanted Cataldo to get the pink I don't know how hard they'll work.

Still an hour to go but here's my team. If anyone is desperate enough to follow my lead and make some changes along my team feel free

Wilco Kelderman
Taylor Phinney
Kanstantin Siutsou
Stefano Locatelli
Leigh Howard
Jens Mouris
Jose Cayetano Sarmiento
Mauro Santambrogio
Thomas Dekker

A Visconti win doesn't necessarily put him in pink......for example if any of SKY's fantastic 5(Puccio,Wiggo,Uran,Henao or Cataldo)come second then his 20 versus 12 would not be enough.

Then factor in 2 intermediate sprints worth 6,4,2 seconds each all coming before either of the categorised climbs.....don't be surprised to see someone go for bonuses today.

I see a break involving Bonnafond and Wurf today.....Visconti(the other KOM leader) won't be allowed to go with his GC position.Keizer's another likely breakaway guy and any more than three in that break will suit SKY,otherwise they may even try to get Puccio in a battle for any left over sprint bonuses available to the peloton.

I then expect a group of 30 or so to crest the final categorised climb together and then it's a daredevil downhill ride to the finish for the bonus seconds......my tip for the win today?

That would be telling(especially with 2 and a half hours left)