A hectic morning with a lot of attacks and a very high pace from the peloton where every riders is fighting just to hang on.
In this case it is Yoann Paillot (Delko) and Niels De Rooze (Veranclassic) but as so many others they won’t make it.
After more than 30 km of very intense racing, finally a breakaway of 4 riders are allowed to go and things calm down. They will build up a gap of about 7 minutes over the next 50 km.
The strongest riders in the break are probably Jesper Hansen (Tinkoff) and Lander Seynaeve (Wanty), but it is unlikely they wil get more than TV time.
After the breakaway the race is rather dull, about mid stage we get a little rain and a few crashes, and the peloton starts to slowly reel in the break. It is Cofidis, Lotto and FDJ working together up front.
With 10 km to the line the breakaway is over and the sprint trains are formed. Astana is setting up Sánchez in front of Boom and Guardini, but Greipel squeezes himself in between Boom and Guardini.
André Greipel takes a close win in front of Arnaud Démare, Andrea Guardini get the last podium in front of teammate Lars Boom
Evaluation:
Overall:
This was the 33 years German sprinters 4th win of the season, after winning Milano-Sanremo and stages in Paris-Nice and Driedaagse van De Panne-Koksijde
The most disappointed must be Bora-Argon 18 with their top 5 favorite Sam Bennett finishing as far back as 39th.
The wet roads mid stage resulted in two injuries, Lionel Taminiaux (ColorCode - Arden'Beef) with a broken hand and Matthias Legley (Veranclassic – Ago) with a sprained wrist.
The most surprising result must be Lars Boom and Dylan Groenewegen, both underrated by media but finishing in top 5
Astana: A very good result for the team, with a podium and a 4th.
6/4-2016 Stage 3/6 Vitoria Gasteiz - Zumárraga 175.5 km
Tom Jelte Slagter (Cannondale) attacks on Alto de Azazeta (cat2), over Alto de Iturrieta (cat1) and Alto de Urbasa (cat1) more riders attack, it ends with a breakaway of 6 riders fighting for the many KoM points on today’s route. Besides Slagter the riders are Blel Kadri (Ag2r), Simon Yates (Orica), Luis Ángel Maté (Cofidis), Cameron Meyer (Dimension Data) and Yoann Bagot (Cofidis).
Slagter is the strongest in the group whenever it starts to go up, he takes the majority of KoM points, securing the overnight KoM lead.
The breakaway get a maximum of 4’30, the group is composed of strong riders and the peloton starts to react with about 90 km to the line, it is Movistar dictating the pace.
40 km to the line and a new series of hilly climbs begin, the breakaway group is now spilt into small pieces, in front Slagter and Kadri got a little more than 2 minutes to the peloton, when Ryder Hesjedal (Trek) attacks.
With 12 km to the line Hesjedal and most of the breakaway is brought back in, only Slagter is out in front with 40 sec. to the peloton, now 57 riders. Then Nibali attack.
But everyone is brought back on the final climb to Alto de La Antigua, 30 riders make it over the top without losing time before the short downhill and the sprint.
The race is won by Alejandro Valverde in front of Samuel Sánchez and Julian Alaphilippe, Nibali makes it to the line as 24th.
Evaluation Stage :
This was the 35 years old Spanish’s riders 6th season win, amongst them winning the general ranking in Paris - Nice. A good season start for the 2009 Vuelta a España winner.
None of the stage favorites lost time today, but overall race favorite Tejay Van Garderen lost 1’41, might be disastrous to his CG ambitions. Also Rafał Majka lost time again.
Astana: Rather bad result from Nibali, coming in at 24th, but with no time loss not that important.
Many rider are contending for the KoM, 4 riders of KoM top 5 are in todays breakaway, Slagter, Kadri, S. Yates and Meyer, together with a few other strong riders Pardilla, Monfort and Geniez they form the breakaway.
With a strong breakaway, it is again Movistar taking responsibility in the peloton, keeping the distance down to around 3 minutes.
The many steep downhill sections provide for high-speed crashes, some looking very bad. Also Astana’s Alessandro Vanotti hits the tarmac, but gets back in the race with just some bruising’s.
The high speed from Movistar eats the breakaway riders one by one, with 20 km left only Geniez is in front with under 2 minutes, Slagter Pardilla and Monfort are almost caught. Then the team leaders move forward and the speed increases further.
At the foot of the final climb to Alto de Uzartza the last breakaway rider Geniez is reeled in. Nibali attacks, at this point there are 55 riders in the first group.
9 riders are able to counter getting up to Nibali, opening a gap to the rest of the peloton. Then Quintana set an extreme hard pace with Valverde on wheel they leave the others behind, again Nibali attacks trying to close the gap.
Valverde wins the stage in the same time is teammate Quintana, Nibali get the last podium losing 27 sec., but at the same time gaining 32 sec or more on the other competitors.
Evaluation Stage :
Second stage win in a row for Alejandro Valverde. Movistar are in a perfect position to win the race with either of their two leaders, creating huge time gaps in the GC today. Valverde is now the 2nd most winning rider of the season.
Race favorite Tejay Van Garderen lost time again today now 3’51 down in the GC. Also stage favorite Rodriguez will be disappointed, he got in top 10 but with a loss of almost 2 minutes.
Nathan Haas and Jay R. Thomson both Dimension Data and Pirmin Lang from IAM Cycling had to abandon the race after crashes, but it turned out that they will be ok to continue their training.
Astana: A perfect stage from Nibali, now having a shot at a podium result if everything turns out right.
Over the first 50 km passing over Alto del Calvario , Alto de Itziar and Alto de Garate, a breakaway are formed counting strong riders, Simon Yates, Tony Martin, Cameron Meyer , Jean-Christophe Péraud, Ben Hermans, Michael Rogers, Leopold König, Alexandre Geniez and KoM leader Tom Jelte Slagter.
As could be expected Movistar will set a very high pace, not letting such a dangerous group get to much time, over the top of Alto de Urraki, todays hardest climb, and Alto de Alkiza the break is hunted down, with 45 km to go a peloton reduces to 66 rider’s leads the race.
But the rider’s just get a few minutes rest, before new opportunistic riders attack, this time it is Louis Meintjes, Adam Yates, Mathias Frank, Jelle Vanendert, Domenico Pozzovivo and Ryder Hesjedal.
The pace in the peloton is again very fast, they just get about 1’30, then in the front of the peloton right behind Bauke Mollema a large crash.
The last part of the race passes Alto de Aia three times from two different sides.
The pace is now extremely hard, when the riders passes the first time the break has 44’’ to a group of 7 with the race leader, Alaphilippe and Aru/Nibali. A group of 6 including Michal Kwiatkowski and Bauke Mollema are another 41’’ behind the breakaway. The peloton of 65 riders is another minute behind.
On the downhill the chase group is led by Aru trying to open a gap to the other favorites. 17 km to the line.
On the 2nd climb to Alto de Aia all the group explodes into smaller fragments, Aru is done now just finishing the stage in an easy pace.
The breakaway is over and four riders are alone in front, Alejandro Valverde, Nairo Quintana, Julian Alaphilippe and Vincenzo Nibali
Alaphilippe attacks, Quintana up the pace further with Valverde on wheel, now Nibali can’t keep up.
Steadily Valverde gets closer and closer to Alaphilippe, and finally they approach the finish together Alaphilippe opens the sprint first but Valverde is stronger on the final 300 meters.
Quintana is done now riding slowly up the final climb getting caught by Nibali.
Kwiatkowski joins the group, and quite impressively also Igor Antón Hernandez and Diego Ulissi joins from behind, both was more than 2‘30 behind not that long ago. Kwiatkowski takes the last podium 1'27 behind the stage winner.
Evaluation Stage :
Now three stage wins in a row for Alejandro Valverde. With just the last ITT left he is more or less set to win the race unless some disaster strikes.
Movistar are in a perfect position to win the race with either of their two leaders, creating huge time gaps in the GC today. Valverde is now the 2nd most winning rider of the season.
Another very bad day for stage favorite Rodriguez and Katusha, from a position as GC 8th, Rodriguez lost 5'45 and now Katusha has no rider in GC top 20.
The hard stage forced another 3 riders to abandon the race, Olivier Le Gac (FDJ), Héctor Sáez (Caja Rural) and Jesse Sergent (Ag2r)
Astana: Nibali lost a slot on the GC, taking 27 sec. on Quintana at an undulated ITT may not be easy, but it might be possaible.
Then the first rider of the top ten is ready to roll from the starter box, Astana his dominated the ITT with Fabio Aru sitting on top of the leader board in front of teammate Tanel Kangert, but there is off course riders out on the route that could change than.
GC 10th. - Roman Kreuziger (Tinkoff) start the race 4'25 behind Valverde, when he get to the finish line Aru is still leading the race, he loses 52’‘ to Aru, it is not a bad time he may advance some today.
GC 9th - Sergio Henao (Sky) start the race 4'16 behind Valverde, had a rather bad day he loses 1'13 to Aru, he may fall back.
GC 8th - Philippe Gilbert (BMC) also start 4’16 behind, he has a terrible race today finishing with one of the worst times 2’23 behind Aru. He will definitely fall out of top 10
GC 7th - Tom Dumoulin (Giant) start the race 4'11 behind Valverde, he loses 35’’ to Aru, a fine time he will most like advance today.
GC 6th - Bauke Mollema (Trek) start the race 4'01 behind Valverde, he loses 58’’ to Aru. He may or may not gain position.
GC 5th - Michal Kwiatkowski (Sky) start the race 3'37 behind Valverde, he loses 55’’ to Aru. He may or may not gain position.
GC 4th - Vincenzo Nibali (Astana) start the race 1'54 behind Valverde, losing a little on the first two intermediate times, but passing Kwiatkowski in a frantic pace on the final hardest climb Nibali beat’s Aru’s time with 1'05 , he is now in the hot seat.
GC 3rd - Nairo Quintana (Movistar) start the race 1'27 behind Valverde, he sets a great time 1'33 behind Nibali, the best time so far for anyone not Astana.
GC 2nd - Julian Alaphilippe (Quick Step) starts the race 1'09 behind Valverde, has a pretty bad ITT losing 2'53, he may well fall of the podium.
Race leader - Alejandro Valverde (Movistar) gets a medium time finish the stage as 24th losing 2’01 to Nibali also losing the race win.
Evaluation Stage :
This was 31 year old Italian triple grand tour winner Vincenzo Nibali’s first stage win of the season, and his first win since winning Il Lombardia 4/10 last year.
The most disappointing results between the pre-stage favorites most be Tony Martin, finishing as far back as 25th losing more than 2 minutes.
Astana: A fantastic stage seen with Astana eyes, the team basically dominated the stage all day, with one Astana rider taken over the hot seat form another Astana rider.
Evaluation Race:
This was Vincenzo Nibali’s first stage race win since winning Tour de France back in 2014
The most disappointing results between the pre-race favorites was definitely Tejay Van Garderen struggling on most stages, but he did ok on the ITT where he came 7th. All in all he lost more than 10 minutes finishing as 27th.
Of the 160 riders starting the race, 152 made it to the finish.
Astana: In a season where Astana have otherwise not met the sponsor expectations, this was a very important and welcome win.
6/4-2016 Scheldeprijs - 1.HC
but on a good note 3rd and 4th is a really good result 
4/4-9/4 2016 Vuelta Ciclista al País Vasco
10/4-2016 Paris - Roubaix
