Oedga Pharma-Quick Step quotes Stage 6 Giro

Omega Pharma - Quick-Step Cycling Team rider Michal Golas was one of the riders who animated the 6th stage of the Giro d`Italia. Golas and 14 other riders escaped early from the bunch and built up a 9 minute lead. Several riders dropped out the lead group, eventually 5 riders battled for the stage win. Golas ended 3rd in the stage and is now 2nd in the overall rankings.

"The team have rode really good today," Sports Director Davide Bramati said. "The riders understood this morning that it was a stage where it was possible to fight for the win and for the pink jersey. We went into the race motivated and Golas chose the right breakaway. Michal did his best today. We knew that we should have to attack Malori to take the jersey, but everybody was at the limit in the last kilometers. It was a really hard stage, it was really hot and the riders used a 28 gear. In general the team was really strong. Cataldo had a flat tyre at about 50 km to go but Vermote and Maes gave their best to bring him in the peloton. Now we are second in the GC and second in the special classification for the white jersey. We will try again in the next stages."

"The breakaway began after only 10 kilometers," Golas said. "This morning in the technical meeting we decided to attack immediately. The parcour was really really hard and in the front group, we lost some guys along the road. At the end there were only five of us. I knews that in the final it would have been a fight with Malori for the Pink Jersey. I tried to pull as much as I could. I tried to drop him but we were at the same level, there were no big difference between us. At 15km to go I had also a flat tire and I had to change the bike and chase the guys in front of me. I couldn’t do more then that, really. After the race I was really disappointed. Now I’ve realized that I did a great race. I was so close to the pink jersey that I don’t want to give up. Tomorrow I will do my best to get another good result for me and for the team