Giro: Contrasting Third Stage for Durbridge and Meyer

Published On: 12 May 2014

Luke Durbridge interacts with supporters following a stage of this year's Giro d'Italia

It was a day of contrasting fortunes for the WA boys competing at the Giro d’Italia during stage three, with the success of Luke Durbridge pulling on the Young Riders’ jersey tempered by a fall for Cameron Meyer.

With the WA pair currently riding in support of the Maglia Rosa adorned teammate and race leader Michael Matthews, the boys and their GreenEDGE team on the whole would be very satisfied with their first three stages. This has included a stage win in the opening team time trial, and two riders wearing the leaders’ jersey in the tour’s opening phase through Belfast and Dublin.

Following the 187km third stage that ended in the centre of Dublin, Matthews has held onto his leaders’ jersey which has allowed WAIS athlete Luke Durbridge to wear the Young Riders’ jersey for at least another stage as the race moves back to its Italian home for a stage four race that will take the riders to Bari.

Durbridge completed stage three in 33rd place, “11 seconds behind stage winner Marcel Kittel who claimed a second consecutive stage sprint win, to move to the top of the sprint points classification. Matthews was 16th, but crucially held onto a position in the main bunch to record the same time as the stage winner.

A battered and bruised Cameron Meyer is assessed by medical staff following a race fall during stage three

Fellow WAIS athlete and six time track cycling world champion Cameron Meyer endured a difficult day, suffering a fall in a bunch crash that saw the 26 year-old require road-side treatment. He was able to complete the stage, but finished 13:39mins in arrears of the main pack.

As the Giro takes in its first of three rest days, to accommodate the travel to Italy, Durbridge currently sits fourth overall in a top ten that features six GreenEDGE riders off the back of their opening stage team time trial win.

Durbridge and Meyer will continue to work with the GreenEDGE team to protect Matthews’ Maglia Rosa for as many stages as they can, following which the Australian Pro-team’s attention will revert to attacking stage wins.