UAE Team Emirates-XRG remain resolutely upbeat regarding their chances in the Giro d'Italia on Sunday despite Primoz Roglič's blistering time trial performance that put their Slovenian rival back in the pink jersey.
While Roglič (Red Bull-Bora-Hangrohe) came within a second of taking the stage as well as moving into the lead, UAE co-leaders Juan Ayuso shed 16 seconds and Adam Yates was 36 seconds back. Their best rider on the day was Jay Vine, briefly the provisional stage leader and finally third. Despite a bad fall on stage 1, US national champion Brandon McNulty finished 12 seconds back while Isaac del Toro, despite his relative youth, once again turned in a stellar performance to finish just one second slower than Ayuso.
Ayuso did not talk to reporters waiting at the line on Saturday after the time trial, but was in a more communicative mood on Sunday morning, saying that he had not wanted to take too many risks on the corners, where several riders fell or came close to going down.
"The time trial was a bit complicated, it was a normal result and not a big deal regarding GC," Ayuso told Cyclingpro.net before the stage.
Team sports director Fabio Baldato was equally untroubled by the result and Roglič's strong early performance, saying it had more to do with their approach paths to the Giro than any underlying concerns.
Over a time trial just 13.7 kilometres long, "16 seconds is a gap," he recognised to Cyclingnews before stage 3.
"But if we all look at his [Roglič's] program and our program, Juan already won Tirreno, then did Catalunya in March then had a bit of recovery time, but Roglič put all his effort and preparation purely for the Giro and he's ready for it.
"The Giro's three weeks long, though and at the end of the day, it's 16 seconds. If there's a split on one day at the end of any stage, you could lose 30 or 40 seconds. So we're happy with our schedule. It's not a problem."
Regarding specific time trial performances, Baldato said that the results were "more or less what we expected. Some riders were suffering from the first stage, because it wasn't easy with the crashes. Ok, Jay" - who fell heavily, while Ayuso also had a minor crash - "was not a GC leader, but he was one of the guys we hoped could stay up there [overall], but Primoz is there.
"Ayuso was maybe hoping for a better TT, but he was a little bit influenced by that crash [on stage 1] and you lose confidence on roads that are not safe and really slippery. It's not the same. And it's better to be safe than sorry."
Regarding Adam Yates, Baldato was notably very satisfied, pointing out that in comparison to twin brother Simon Yates, whom Baldato considers a much better time triallist, Adam Yates only lost three seconds.
"He did super," Baldato said categorically. "If you look at the time splits on the climb, he was actually capable of the same time as Jay Vine.
"So they did the same on a 1.5 kilometre ascent, they did the same, the difference is that before and after Jay racing like a time triallist. I asked Adam yesterday [Saturday] and he said he was pleased. And that climbing performance - that was a good sign."
Yet another box with an emphatic tick was provided by UAE's not-so-secret weapon, Isaac del Toro, 21, the hugely promising young racer, who finished in a very promising twelfth place in his first ever Giro d'Italia TT.
"The other two [Adam Yates and Ayuso] are the leaders and he's racing without any pressure," Baldato says. "But if we need him to be there to support the others, then hopefully he can be there."
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