The third stage takes the riders from Kitzbühel to Lienz. The route is only 140 kilometers long, but two first category climbs should make it hard enough to force some kind of selection.
Stage favourites are Bibby Levarlet Schreurs
Eventhough yesterday’s stage was massive, all 132 riders made the time limit and start the race today.
The racing starts with a long third category climb and Villella Fuglsang Danielson
make us of it forming an early breakaway of three.
None of them looks particularly interested in the mountain points and Villella
rolls over first and secures himself six of them.
They’ve been able to pull the gap back to the peloton up to a solid 3’20 with 123 kilometers to go.
Danielson
wins the intermediate sprint just before they start today’s first big climb. They’ve descended well, and are definitely looking like today’s breakaway. 4’30 is their lead.
Back in the peloton it is all LukOil-Rostelekom
at the front, protecting their race leader Iglinski
As they start the steep part of the climb with 106 kilometers left they are five minutes behind the three escapers.
The mountain points for the first first category climb of the day are given just before a dark tunnel, and it’s Danielson
timing his move to perfection as he pips Fuglsang
on the line.
The Dane is the best placed rider in the overall classification of the trio in front. He sits in 30th, only 5’23 behind race leader Iglinski
Back in the peloton it’s interesting to see Morabito Lejman
attack just before the top of the climb. The Suisse rider takes 8 mountain points while the Polish guy claims 6. They continue to ride, and as they start to descend 89 kilometers away from home they’re 50 seconds in front of the peloton and 5’40 behind the breakaway.
Jaguar-Eritel
starts to help the chase as they go downhill, and they catch the duo that tried their luck. You must ask if it was only for the mountain points. 80 kilometers to go and they’re 5’45 behind the trio up front, which means they control them fairly well.
48 kilometers to go and Villella
gets to ride first through the intermediate sprint. You should also notice the rain. We had a beautiful sun at the start in Kitzbühel, but now the rain is pouring down, making this a tough one for the riders.
Back in the bunch LukOil-Rostelekom
are back on the front as they start the final, but very steep, climb of the day. They’re chasing three minutes behind 35 kilometers from the finishing line in Lienz.
Only five kilometers later and the breakaway riders are past the summit. It’s Danielson
taking another 16 points, meaning he has 36 in total today. That gives him the polkadot if he finishes the stage.
The trio is fighting brilliant as they still lead the peloton by 2’55, and there are only 31 kilometers to go, which most of them being downhill.
You must admit it’s a rather disappointing show from the riders in the peloton. The only attacks on the climb comes from Morabito Lejman
who attack a kilometer from the top, and secures themselves another 8 and 6 mountain points.
The bunch consists of 76 riders as they go over the top no less than four minutes behind the leaders! It’s Jaguar-Eritel
setting a decent pace, but nothing more.
Fajt Khalmutarov
are the only riders in the top 50 in the overall standings to be dropped, it seems.
The peloton catches Morabito Lejman
on a nasty right corner 22 kilometers away from home. The breakaway you ask? They’re still 2’50 ahead!
Best placed rider overall in the breakaway Fuglsang
grabs the six bonus seconds with 18 kilometers to go. But they don’t look like they care much about them, it’s all about staying away from the chasing peloton. They’re doing remarkably well, still having 2’50 back to the bunch.
As the peloton has 13 kilometers left it looks like they have resigned! It’s LukOil-Rostelekom
on the front, but they aren’t really chasing, just keeping control for Iglinski’s
yellow jersey. They’re now three minutes behind the trio that should fight for the glory here in Lienz.
Danielson
launches his bid for the stage win as he gives it everything when he sees the five kilometers to go banner. But he doesn’t get much of a gap, Fuglsang Villella
look determined to not let this chance slip as they’re only 12 seconds behind.
Fuglsang
makes the catch exactly with three kilometers to go! He’s also the best sprinter of these three riders, will it be the Dane’s day?
Fuglsang
rides straight past Danielson
with Villella
on his rear wheel. The Dane opens his sprint with 2.0 kilometers to go, and the American looks like he struggles to follow!
No chance for Danielson
indeed. Under the kite and it’s still Fuglsang
in the lead, but you must fancy Villella’s
chances here. This should serve as a perfect lead out for the Italian.
Here he comes! Villella
is allowed to take the inner turn only 500 meters from the line, and he immediately grabs the space Fuglsang
has allowed him on his inside.
Villella
wins it! He got his tactic right in the sprint for the win, which means Fuglsang
must settle for second place and Danielson
wasn’t awarded for his late attack and comes home third.
Though, Fuglsang
should find comfort in the fact that when the trio crosses the finishing line the peloton is reported to be four minutes behind!
