Giger and Neff win Afxentia stage 3

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Stage 3 of the Afxentia Stage Race produced the same winners as on stage 2. In Lythrodontas, Swiss riders Fabian Giger and Jolanda Neff (both Giant Pro XC) won the elite men's and women's races. At the end of 39.9km, Giger beat his Swedish teammate Emil Lindgren and Ondrej Cink (Multivan Merida). Neff finished ahead of Annika Langvad (Specialized) and Adelheid Morath (Sabine Spitz Haibike)

Men

The winner was the same, but the men's race unfolded differently today. A nine-man lead group split off on the 8km uphill singletrack. Jan Skarnitzl (SRAM Rubena Trek) and Giger dominated near the front of the group, followed by Cink and Lindgren, who then proved the strongest and reached the top of the mountain first although the group was more or less together. Lindgren had a small gap at the summit, but it was quickly closed on the downhill.

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Around 10 kilometres to go, there was a short climb again and Giger took that as a chance for an attack. He left the group behind, though later Lindgren followed him. Skarnitzl, after flatting the day before, had bad luck again. With five kilometers to go, he had shifting problems and could not push that hard anymore. So, he would finish fourth.

"Skarnitzl again was super strong and he delivered a super speed in the uphill singletrack," said Giger. "But I could take advantage of another short climb and get another win. Everything worked out perfect today, it was cool and I had a lot of fun."

For Lindgren, his second place finish was a kind of compensation for the day before, when he flatted early. "That shows that I could have been in front yesterday as well. I felt really good. In the uphill, the others were a bit stronger, but I was able to come back. It's a nice success for the team today," said Lindgren, who finished eight seconds back.

Cink, at 39 seconds back, defended his second place in the GC. "I tried to control Fabian, and it was okay. Only in the last few kilometres, I had no more power to follow. At least I am happy to stay in second place overall." He now trails Giger by 49 seconds in the GC.

Skarnitzl is in fifth overall, three seconds behind Julian Schelb (Multivan-Merida) and six seconds behind Florian Vogel (Scott-Odlo). Schelb and Vogel crossed the finish line in fifth and sixth place today, at 2:11, just ahead of Marco Fontana (Cannondale Factory Racing).

Young gun Schelb again rode well even if he confessed that he had trouble in the first part of the race. "I struggled in the beginning, but in the middle of the singletrack uphill to Kionia, suddenly I could push more, and I was happy again."

Vogel, who got cramps at the end, remains third overall at 2:29, three seconds ahead of Schelb.

Women

In the women's race Jolanda Neff showed that she ought to be crowned as downhill queen. The 21-year-old Swiss rider used the long singletrack downhill to the Mantra tou Kampiou picnic place for her attack. But in opposite to yesterday, she had to make up a gap to Adelheid Morath before taking the lead. It was around 30 seconds - Neff was behind Adelheid Morath - when they reached the top of the course.

"For me it was clear that Jolanda would pass me. I tried to ride safe. I am not so fast that I can compete with Jolanda in the downhill, and on the winding dirt road I was not able to push hard," said Morath. "But I am really happy. Everything is like it should be at this time." The German lost 2:16 to Neff.

Annika Langvad was talking about doing her "own race". "I am not yet in a really race mode. I don't want to get completely exhausted. The Afxentia stage race is a part of my preparation for the Cape Epic, and therefore it is perfect. It's comparable, the dryness, the stones and so on," she said after finishing 1:29 behind Neff.

Neff increased her overall lead to 4:02 on Langvad and 4:57 to Morath. "I had a lot of fun, it was really cool. Let's see what happens tomorrow, but I hope, that I can defend the lead. I had a pretty good winter, but before the first race you never know. I am happy, that everything feels that good," said Neff.

Sabine Spitz (Haibike) missed the leading trio, but was riding a in a confortable fourth position, 4:45 back. "I felt not bad. At the beginning it was a bit turbulent. But for me at least it is okay. Good to have strong teammates as well," she said, while pointing to Kathrin Stirnemann, who finished fifth.

Stirnemann had bad luck yesterday when she broke her chain and lost a lot of time. "I tried to get back as much as possible today," she said.

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