Alex Rasmussen satisfied with third place in 2012 Giro d'Italia first stage

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Alex Rasmussen gave his best effort to win the first stage time trial at the 2012 Giro d'Italia, but was happy to settle for third place, as the Italian race opened in his homeland of Denmark. The Garmin-Barracuda rider praised local fans for their “fantastic support”.

“I can be happy with third place.  I'm glad, because I gave everything I could,” he told the Ritzau news agency. “There was nothing left. I simply had no more.

“Of course I'm disappointed that it did not extend to pink, but I gave everything and there was nothing to do.”

Rasmussen, who finished 13 seconds down on winner Taylor Phinney, praised the fans who lined the route. “I feel absolutely that I am at home. There was so much support. It was really cool.”

He said that he purposely didn't go too fast at the start so that he would still have something left at the end, “but it wasn't enough. The wind was really, really hard at the finish.”