"We are there and we can be proud" - Giulio Ciccone still fighting for the win at the Volta a Catalunya

Giulio Ciccone maintained his spot in third on the general classification at the Volta a Catalunya, with a third placed finish on stage three and he's determined to keep battling for the overall victory.

“It was a really fast stage right from the start. It was also a really really hard stage. Almost 4000 meters of altitude. We went fast but we were always there together and knew things were under control," Ciccone told Trek-Segafredo's official website. "On the second last climb, the long climb, they (Soudal - Quick-Step) were already setting a really hard tempo and we tried to manage our energy. Then in the final, when I understood I was not able to follow Evenepoel and Roglic, I started to think about the bonus seconds available in the sprint for third on the line."

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Indeed, in finishing best of the rest behind Primoz Roglic and Remco Evenepoel, Ciccone further cemented his podium position at the race, now 25 seconds ahead of Mikel Landa who lays in fourth overall.

"The tempo was already really fast for about five minutes before they attacked so I think we were already on the limit so we all just tried to continue with our own tempo," Ciccone says. "Today they were on another level but I think in the end, we can be happy. We did a really good job. We are fighting with the big names, we are there and we can be proud.”

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Video: The final kilometer battle between Remco Evenepoel and Primoz Roglic, Volta a Catalunya stage 3