Astana’s rider 3rd at Stage 3 of Tour of Croatia

None
None
ASTANA. KAZINFORM - After a cruel final climb of 29 kilometers to the finish at Sveti Juri, the Young Kazakh rider Yevgeniy Gidich finished third behind winner Kanstantsin Siutsou and runner up Pieter Weening, Kazinform has learnt from the club's press service. 

"I am happy with my performance. During the first two days I've realized I am feeling good after a very productive training camp in Almaty, so today I was motivated to try something and the team provided me with a very strong support. Yeah, the final climb was long and hard, but I really felt good and my legs worked well. In the end when Suitsou attacked, I thought I could answer but I was not sure if I could hold this rhythm later so I preferred to continue on my own rhythm. It worked well and I could finish third. Now I am third in the GC and I am looking forward to fight for a podium in the overall in the next days," said Yevgeniy Gidich.

When the riders took off from Trogir, a breakaway was created early in the race. But the peloton knew that everything would be decided at the impressive final climb of 29 kilometers long, finishing uphill. The breakaway was controlled and after a few kilometers at the final climb, an already reduced group caught the remaining leaders of the day's breakaway.

The initial group of sixteen riders went for the most serious parts of the climb, and immediately a few riders dropped. Yevgeniy Gidich and Bakhtiyar Kozhatayev managed to hold on, only Kozhatayev had to leave the leading group 17km. After an attack of Kanstantsin Siutsou, only four riders were left at the fornt of the race including the young Gidich (21).

In the final kilometers, Pieter Weening and Siutsou took off for the stage win and the lead in the General Classification. After an impressive climb of Yevgeniy Gidich, he finished only 49" seconds behind winner Siutsou on a third place.

"In the beginning of the race we tried to control the situation and to avoid any big breakaway. Yevgeniy was very motivated for today's final, so the team was fully supporting him. We knew that Gidich is an allrounder with a good sprint and he can climb, but anyway today he did a great race and we all are happy with his result. On the climb he had really good legs and finally he lost just to two pure climbers - Siutsou and Weening. He is very young, 22 years old and today he showed his great potential," said sports director Assan Bazayev.

 

Currently reading