Impey looks after Gerrans at Tour de France MyZA

Orica Greenedge team rider Simon Gerrans of Australia celebrates his victory on the podium of the 145,5 km third stage of the centenary Tour de France cycling race. Photo: Reuters/Benoit Tessier

Two days after Australian team Orica-GreenEdge‘s bus caused havoc at the Tour de France they were in the spotlight for a positive reason – Simon Gerrans winning the third stage.

Australian Gerrans beat pre-stage favourite Peter Sagan of Slovakia and Spain’s Jose Joaquin Rojas at the end of a 145.5-km, hilly trek from Ajaccio through impressive scenery along the Corsican west coast.

Gerrans’s win, his second in the Tour after he took the 15th stage in 2008 and his team’s first, came two days after his team bus got stuck under the finish line’s overhead banner minutes before the fast-approaching peloton reached the end of the first stage.

“It was definitely a bizarre day (on Saturday). Nobody in the team, or in the world, expected it. Afterwards we saw the footage of the bus stuck at the finish line. You really can do nothing but laugh at the situation,” Gerrans told a news conference.

“(Our driver) did a fantastic job, we are proud of him. He was embarrassed so we felt quite sorry for him.”

Belgian Jan Bakelants retained the overall leader’s yellow jersey when he finished in the leading bunch after his RadioShack-Leopard team controlled the pace in the final part of the stage.

“This year I was targeting the first part of the Tour de France. I put all my faith in Daryl (Impey), he’s one of the best leadout men. I was looking after him yesterday, he was looking after me today,” said Gerrans, who won the Milan-San Remo classic last year.

“He delivered me inside 200 metres from the line. I really wasn’t sure who won. I’m happy I finished it off.” – Reuters