"The distance was OK; I just didn't have the power to hold position before the climb"

Sam Bennett said while he climbed well today, the power he needed to position himself up the final ascent let him down; seen here in the middle of the peloton on today's third stage of Tirreno Adriatico.

Peter Sagan took stage three of Tirreno Adriatico in Arrezzo today, winning an uphill sprint to the line ahead of the in-form Michal Kwiatkowski of Omega Pharma Quickstep and Simon Clarke of Orica GreenEdge.

Having finished fourth in yesterday's bunch gallop to the line, Ireland’s Sam Bennett didn’t feature in the final sprint having lost his position on the run in to the final climb.

“The distance was fine,” said Bennett of the 210km stage.

“I was okay on the last kilometre every lap going up the climb, but I just didn’t have the power on the flat section before that to stay up in position.”

NetApp-Endura's Bennett finished alongside compatriot Dan Martin (Garmin-Sharp) today, losing 49 seconds on the stage as the bunch fragmented in the chaotic uphill finale.

Nicolas Roche fared slightly better, crossing the line alongside Tinkoff-Saxo teammate Roman Kreuziger for 36th place on the stage, 14 seconds down on the stage winner and moving up to 19th place overall.

Roche however, admits that he harbours no personal ambitions in the week-long stage race and he will work for his Tinkoff Saxo team leader, Alberto Contador, when the race hits its first mountains tomorrow.

““After my knee injury in the winter, it’s all about getting the kilometres in and getting back into the rhythm of racing again," he said today.

"I’m here to help Alberto go for the GC and tomorrow is the first mountain stage so hopefully I will be there to support him on the climbs.”