Sagan (Tinkoff) made a solo break out of the leading peloton to catch two escapees in the final 10km before outsprinting Michael Albasini (Orica-GreenEdge) and Silvan Dillier (BMC) to win the 192.6km third stage from Grosswangen to Rheinfelden.
“The race was very hard. I caught the escape on the descent, on the flat, and it was pretty hard to keep up," Sagan said.
"When its raining it’s much easier to be alone out the front, to make the break stick, and the decisions I made were based on me feeling good On the front the guys did some work with me and it was Ok in the lead up to the finish.
"It was a good sprint. At 300 metres out I stayed on his wheel and then passed him on the line. The riders in the breakaway wanted to work with me today. It’s not always easy to get them to work with me but we all wanted the win. It was just lucky I still had the legs to go for the sprint in the last hundred metres.”
The peloton, including previous race leader Jurgen Roelandts (Lotto-Soudal), arrived three seconds back. With a time bonus for winning the stage, Sagan moved into the overall lead with a three seconds gap to Roelandts, who was fifth on the stage.
“It was tough when we were working so hard," Sagan said. "Cycling has changed. It doesn’t respect the group as much.
"We were out on front, working with Lotto, but all the riders weren’t working. I was asking where the respect was. We were going to kill ourselves riding so hard with 50 kilometres to go.
"I thought it would be easier for everyone if we worked, but I’m angry that my team was working hard on the front, but no-one seemed to respect that.”
Dillier got the race started with a solo break before he was joined by Lars Erik Bystrøm (Katusha), Gregory Rast (Trek-Segafredo), Matthew Hayman (Orica-GreenEdge), Branislau Samoilau (CCC Sprandi Polkowice), Bruno Pires (Roth) and Roompot-Oranje Peloton pair Antwan Tolhoek and Hub Duijn.
That group effort lasted until Albasini bridged across and then paired up with Dillier for a two-man ride off the front.
After the gap to the chase had shortened, Sagan then hooked up to make it a trio that would ride together to the finish.
