“I’m completely overwhelmed by this,” said Tuft. “It was an incredible thing for the team to give me this chance. I’m so proud to ride for a team where something like this can happen. These guys are all like brothers to me. We came in with big expectations, and we were able to deliver. It hasn’t really sunk in yet, but being up there on the podium with the guys was something I’ll never forget.”
“We’ve had some big victories over the last two weeks,” said Sport Director Matt White. “This is one we called a long way out. This was our big goal at the Giro. I think a lot of teams are scared to call it because they’re scared of failing. That’s not how we roll. We’re honest. We called it. We went for it. We got it. This is a very proud moment.”
The flat route made for fast racing, and the team handled the technical sections with ease of course, carving their way through the tunnel of noise created by the spectators decked out in pink. The team clocked the winning time with an average speed of 52.7 kilometres per hour.
The second team to race, ORICA-GreenEDGE endured a two hour wait in the hot seat before receiving confirmation that their ride was good for the win. Five seconds slower than the Australian outfit, Omega Pharma – Quick-Step had come closest to challenging for the jersey. At seven seconds, BMC rounded out the stage podium.
“A lot of work certainly went into our participation,” said White. “The selection of the team and the race programmes of these riders here – it was all very intentional. We’ve used a core group of guys many times in the team time trial in the past, so it’s about adapting the guys who aren’t as familiar with our regime into the team time trial programme. That all went every smoothly.”
“We were definitely the favourites coming into the stage,” White added. “Hats off to the guys. It’s a lot harder to win when you’re the favourites for a race like this. They handled the pressure well. I’m really proud of them all.”
Part of the team since its maiden season, Tuft has been an integral part of each of the Australian outfit’s important team time trial results. During his tenure with the team, the eight time Canadian National Champion has helped deliver victory in the collective race against the clock at Tirreno-Adriatco, Eneco Tour and at the Tour de France. The win at the Tour put Simon Gerrans in the yellow jersey.
Tuft teamed up with Luke Durbridge to twice win Duo Normand, sending a record-breaking time last year. He also was part of the team’s medal winning rides in the team time trial at the World Championships – bronze in 2012, silver last year. The second Canadian to pull on the pink jersey, Tuft follows in the footsteps of Giro d’Italia winner Ryder Hesjedal (Garmin-Sharp).
“I didn’t want to say anything about it before the race, but Svein was always our guy,” said White. “The ethos of this team is you get what you give. Svein has been part of all our great time trial results, and I think it’s only fitting that the guy who’s been the lynch pin of so many big moments gets the limelight for at least one day.”
“The team told me at the meeting this morning that they wanted me to lead the team across the line,” Tuft said. “It really meant a lot to me. I give everything on days like today, and I would have been just as proud if one of the others guys got to wear the jersey.”
The Giro d’Italia continues over the weekend with two road stages in Ireland earmarked for the sprinters. ORICA-GreenEDGE plans to work for Michael Matthews in the fast finales. The 23-year-old made his Grand Tour debut at the Vuelta a España last year, winning two stages.
“Having the maglia rosa is a very coveted jersey,” said White. “We want to keep it as long as possible. We ticked this box today, but we’re still chasing stage wins. The next two stages, we’ll support Michael Matthews in the sprints. This works with our plan to keep the jersey. Petacchi (Omega Pharma – Quick-Step) is the only sprinter within striking distance. Our main rivals in the sprints are a little bit further down. Even if they win stages, they can’t take the jersey from us.”
Results
1. Orica-GreenEdge 0:24:42
2. Omega Pharma-QuickStep 0:05
3. BMC 0:07
4. Tinkoff-Saxo 0:23
5. Team Sky 0:35
6. Astana 0:38
7. Cannondale 0:53
8. Movistar Team 0:55
9. Giant-Shimano 0:56
10. Ag2r-La Mondiale 0:58
11. Trek Factory Racing 1:00
12. Belkin 1:01
13. Neri Sottoli
14. Bardiani-CSF 1:07
15. Androni Giocattoli 1:14
16. FDJ.fr 1:18
17. Lampre-Merida 1:20
18. Colombia 1:22
19. Katusha 1:33
20. Lotto Belisol 1:34
21. Europcar 1:48
22. Garmin-Sharp 3:26
GC after Stage 1
1. Svein Tuft (Can) Orica-GreenEdge 0:24:42
2. Luke Durbridge (Aus) Orica-GreenEdge
3. Pieter Weening (Ned) Orica-GreenEdge
4. Cameron Meyer (Aus) Orica-GreenEdge
5. Michael Matthews (Aus) Orica-GreenEdge
6. Ivan Santaromita (Ita) Orica-GreenEdge
7. Pieter Serry (Bel) Omega Pharma-Quick-Step Cycling Team 0:05
8. Gianluca Brambilla (Ita) Omega Pharma-Quick-Step Cycling Team
9. Rigoberto Uran Uran (Col) Omega Pharma-Quick-Step Cycling Team
10. Serge Pauwels (Bel) Omega Pharma-Quick-Step Cycling Team
11. Julien Vermote (Bel) Omega Pharma-Quick-Step Cycling Team
12. Alessandro Petacchi (Ita) Omega Pharma-Quick-Step Cycling Team
13. Daniel Oss (Ita) BMC Racing Team 0:07
14. Danilo Wyss (Sui) BMC Racing Team
15. Cadel Evans (Aus) BMC Racing Team
16. Steve Morabito (Sui) BMC Racing Team
17. Samuel Sanchez (Esp) BMC Racing Team
18. Yannick Eijssen (Bel) BMC Racing Team 0:09
19. Brett Lancaster (Aus) Orica-GreenEdge 0:22
20. Thomas De Gendt (Bel) Omega Pharma-Quick-Step Cycling Team
21. Wout Poels (Ned) Omega Pharma-Quick-Step Cycling Team
22. Christopher Juul Jensen (Den) Tinkoff-Saxo 0:23
23. Jay Mccarthy (Aus) Tinkoff-Saxo
24. Michael Rogers (Aus) Tinkoff-Saxo
25. Ivan Rovny (Rus) Tinkoff-Saxo
26. Pawel Poljanski (Pol) Tinkoff-Saxo
27. Nicolas Roche (Irl) Tinkoff-Saxo
28. Rafal Majka (Pol) Tinkoff-Saxo
29. Chris Anker Sörensen (Den) Tinkoff-Saxo
30. Ben Swift (Gbr) Team Sky 0:35
31. Dario Cataldo (Ita) Team Sky
32. Philip Deignan (Irl) Team Sky
33. Edvald Boasson Hagen (Nor) Team Sky
34. Kanstantsin Siutsou (Blr) Team Sky
35. Salvatore Puccio (Ita) Team Sky
36. Sebastian Henao Gomez (Col) Team Sky
37. Valerio Agnoli (Ita) Astana Pro Team 0:38
38. Janez Brajkovic (Slo) Astana Pro Team
39. Enrico Gasparotto (Ita) Astana Pro Team
40. Michele Scarponi (Ita) Astana Pro Team
41. Borut Bozic (Slo) Astana Pro Team
42. Fabio Aru (Ita) Astana Pro Team
43. Paolo Tiralongo (Ita) Astana Pro Team
44. Andrey Zeits (Kaz) Astana Pro Team
45. Mikel Landa Meana (Esp) Astana Pro Team
46. Iljo Keisse (Bel) Omega Pharma-Quick-Step Cycling Team 0:41
47. Manuel Quinziato (Ita) BMC Racing Team 0:52
48. Elia Viviani (Ita) Cannondale 0:53
49. Michel Koch (Ger) Cannondale
50. Ivan Basso (Ita) Cannondale
51. Daniele Ratto (Ita) Cannondale
52. Alan Marangoni (Ita) Cannondale
53. Oscar Gatto (Ita) Cannondale
54. Moreno Moser (Ita) Cannondale
55. Adriano Malori (Ita) Movistar Team 0:55
56. Nairo Alexander Quintana Rojas (Col) Movistar Team
57. Gorka Izaguirre Insausti (Esp) Movistar Team
58. Eros Capecchi (Ita) Movistar Team
59. Andrey Amador Bakkazakova (CRc) Movistar Team
60. Simon Geschke (Ger) Team Giant-Shimano 0:56
61. Marcel Kittel (Ger) Team Giant-Shimano
62. Tobias Ludvigsson (Swe) Team Giant-Shimano
63. Luka Mezgec (Slo) Team Giant-Shimano
64. Georg Preidler (Aut) Team Giant-Shimano
65. Alexis Vuillermoz (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale 0:58
66. Maxime Bouet (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
67. Davide Appollonio (Ita) AG2R La Mondiale
68. Matteo Montaguti (Ita) AG2R La Mondiale
69. Hubert Dupont (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
70. Domenico Pozzovivo (Ita) AG2R La Mondiale
71. Patrick Gretsch (Ger) AG2R La Mondiale
72. Giacomo Nizzolo (Ita) Trek Factory Racing 1:00
73. Robert Kiserlovski (Cro) Trek Factory Racing
74. Danilo Hondo (Ger) Trek Factory Racing
75. Fumiyuki Beppu (Jpn) Trek Factory Racing
76. Julian David Arredondo Moreno (Col) Trek Factory Racing
77. Fabio Felline (Ita) Trek Factory Racing
78. Riccardo Zoidl (Aut) Trek Factory Racing
79. Wilco Kelderman (Ned) Belkin Pro Cycling Team 1:01
80. Jetse Bol (Ned) Belkin Pro Cycling Team
81. Jos Van Emden (Ned) Belkin Pro Cycling Team
82. Maarten Tjallingii (Ned) Belkin Pro Cycling Team
83. Marc Goos (Ned) Belkin Pro Cycling Team
84. Steven Kruijswijk (Ned) Belkin Pro Cycling Team
85. Mauro Finetto (Ita) Neri Sottoli-Yellow Fluo
86. Francesco Chicchi (Ita) Neri Sottoli-Yellow Fluo
87. Andrea Fedi (Ita) Neri Sottoli-Yellow Fluo
88. Matteo Rabottini (Ita) Neri Sottoli-Yellow Fluo
89. Jonathan Monsalve (Ven) Neri Sottoli-Yellow Fluo
90. Giorgio Cecchinel (Ita) Neri Sottoli-Yellow Fluo
91. Stefano Pirazzi (Ita) Bardiani-CSF 1:07
92. Sonny Colbrelli (Ita) Bardiani-CSF
93. Francesco Manuel Bongiorno (Ita) Bardiani-CSF
94. Edoardo Zardini (Ita) Bardiani-CSF
95. Enrico Barbin (Ita) Bardiani-CSF
96. Nicola Boem (Ita) Bardiani-CSF
97. Nicola Ruffoni (Ita) Bardiani-CSF
98. Marco Canola (Ita) Bardiani-CSF
99. Enrico Battaglin (Ita) Bardiani-CSF
100. Emanuele Sella (Ita) Androni Giocattoli 1:14
101. Yonder Godoy (Ven) Androni Giocattoli
102. Diego Rosa (Ita) Androni Giocattoli
103. Franco Pellizotti (Ita) Androni Giocattoli
104. Jackson Rodriguez (Ven) Androni Giocattoli
105. Johnny Hoogerland (Ned) Androni Giocattoli
106. Paolo Longo Borghini (Ita) Cannondale 1:16
107. Jussi Veikkanen (Fin) FDJ.fr 1:18
108. Alexandre Geniez (Fra) FDJ.fr
109. Francis Mourey (Fra) FDJ.fr
110. Laurent Pichon (Fra) FDJ.fr
111. Nacer Bouhanni (Fra) FDJ.fr
112. Johan Le Bon (Fra) FDJ.fr
113. Diego Ulissi (Ita) Lampre-Merida 1:20
114. Roberto Ferrari (Ita) Lampre-Merida
115. Przemyslaw Niemiec (Pol) Lampre-Merida
116. Manuele Mori (Ita) Lampre-Merida
117. Jan Polanc (Slo) Lampre-Merida
118. Winner Anacona Gomez (Col) Lampre-Merida
119. Damiano Cunego (Ita) Lampre-Merida
120. Albert Timmer (Ned) Team Giant-Shimano
121. Leonardo Fabio Duque (Col) Colombia 1:23
122. Carlos Julian Quintero (Col) Colombia
123. Edwin Alcibiades Avila Vanegas (Col) Colombia
124. Fabio Andres Duarte Arevalo (Col) Colombia
125. Jarlinson Pantano (Col) Colombia
126. José Herrada Lopez (Esp) Movistar Team 1:29
127. Angel Vicioso Arcos (Esp) Team Katusha 1:33
128. Luca Paolini (Ita) Team Katusha
129. Vladimir Gusev (Rus) Team Katusha
130. Daniel Moreno Fernandez (Esp) Team Katusha
131. Joaquin Rodriguez Oliver (Esp) Team Katusha
132. Maxime Monfort (Bel) Lotto Belisol 1:34
133. Tim Wellens (Bel) Lotto Belisol
134. Tosh Van Der Sande (Bel) Lotto Belisol
135. Lars Ytting Bak (Den) Lotto Belisol
136. Adam Hansen (Aus) Lotto Belisol
137. Francisco José Ventoso Alberdi (Esp) Movistar Team 1:42
138. Davide Villella (Ita) Cannondale
139. Bjorn Thurau (Ger) Team Europcar 1:48
140. Yukiya Arashiro (Jpn) Team Europcar
141. Davide Malacarne (Ita) Team Europcar
142. Pierre Rolland (Fra) Team Europcar
143. Maxime Mederel (Fra) Team Europcar
144. Tony Hurel (Fra) Team Europcar
145. Perrig Quemeneur (Fra) Team Europcar
146. Romain Sicard (Fra) Team Europcar
147. Marco Bandiera (Ita) Androni Giocattoli
148. Marco Frapporti (Ita) Androni Giocattoli 1:53
149. Miguel Angel Rubiano Chavez (Col) Colombia 1:57
150. Rick Flens (Ned) Belkin Pro Cycling Team 2:08
151. Maxim Belkov (Rus) Team Katusha 2:09
152. Mattia Cattaneo (Ita) Lampre-Merida 2:13
153. Boy Van Poppel (Ned) Trek Factory Racing 2:15
154. Manuel Belletti (Ita) Androni Giocattoli 2:28
155. Daniele Colli (Ita) Neri Sottoli-Yellow Fluo
156. Tom Veelers (Ned) Team Giant-Shimano 2:33
157. Ben Hermans (Bel) BMC Racing Team 2:44
158. Brent Bookwalter (USA) BMC Racing Team
159. Michael Hepburn (Aus) Orica-GreenEdge 2:45
160. Murilo Antonio Fischer (Bra) FDJ.fr 2:59
161. Jonathan Castroviejo Nicolas (Esp) Movistar Team 3:05
162. Axel Domont (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale 3:11
163. Rodolfo Andres Torres Agudelo (Col) Colombia 3:19
164. Bert De Backer (Bel) Team Giant-Shimano 3:21
165. Ryder Hesjedal (Can) Garmin Sharp 3:26
166. Tyler Farrar (USA) Garmin Sharp
167. Fabian Wegmann (Ger) Garmin Sharp
168. Dylan Van Baarle (Ned) Garmin Sharp
169. Thomas Dekker (Ned) Garmin Sharp
170. Simone Ponzi (Ita) Neri Sottoli-Yellow Fluo 3:38
171. Alberto Losada Alguacil (Esp) Team Katusha 3:41
172. Martijn Keizer (Ned) Belkin Pro Cycling Team 3:52
173. Bernhard Eisel (Aut) Team Sky 4:00
174. Christopher Sutton (Aus) Team Sky
175. Tom Stamsnijder (Ned) Team Giant-Shimano
176. Evgeny Petrov (Rus) Tinkoff-Saxo 4:01
177. Eugenio Alafaci (Ita) Trek Factory Racing 4:06
178. Igor Anton Hernandez (Esp) Movistar Team 4:12
179. Julien Berard (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale 4:15
180. Dennis Vanendert (Bel) Lotto Belisol 4:18
181. Sander Armee (Bel) Lotto Belisol
182. Sébastien Chavanel (Fra) FDJ.fr 4:23
183. Arnaud Courteille (Fra) FDJ.fr
184. Mitchell Docker (Aus) Orica-GreenEdge 4:33
185. David Tanner (Aus) Belkin Pro Cycling Team
186. Jeffry Johan Romero Corredor (Col) Colombia 4:37
187. Robinson Eduardo Chalapud Gomez (Col) Colombia
188. Angelo Tulik (Fra) Team Europcar 4:45
189. Matteo Bono (Ita) Lampre-Merida 5:08
190. Giampaolo Caruso (Ita) Team Katusha 5:15
191. Eduard Vorganov (Rus) Team Katusha
192. Gert Dockx (Bel) Lotto Belisol 5:25
193. Kenny De Haes (Bel) Lotto Belisol 5:32
194. Nathan Haas (Aus) Garmin Sharp 5:57
195. André Cardoso (Por) Garmin Sharp
196. Ramon Carretero (Pan) Neri Sottoli-Yellow Fluo 6:02
197. Koldo Fernandez (Esp) Garmin Sharp 0:10:11