The Santa Lucia Criterium might be the most difficult in this series.
Very similar to the 2nd stage it`s another tough ride for the puncheurs and climbers.
As the climbers had advantages over the puncheurs there, they might as well be seen in front today.
Smauel Sanchez (Iberia) definitely need to be named as he looked the strongest on this terrain.
On top of the first climb it`s a well known face. Mourey (France) with yet another attack. And who would be surprised after 2 successful tries, that moved him into the GC lead!
He is followed by Agostini (Cisco), Silva (CSC) and Capecchi (Italy).
Spain`s Aramendia also wants to join and starts a solo ride. His time trial skills surely help him there.
35km to go or 3 laps done.
Team Barcelona and Benfica are doing the pace at the moment.
The gap to Mourey/Agostini/Silva is at 2'36.
Capecchi couldn`t join them so far and is 53s behind while Aramendia is almost joining him.
Well. He joined him. But within 5km their gap of a bit more than 1min was gone and both are back in the peloton.
So just 3 riders in front having a 2'13 gap.
Silva is surely no climber. And so he has to let the others go.
On the 4th of 8 climbs he loses contact.
Also the peloton reached the top of the 4th climb.
Toribio (Iberia) attacks. The Spaniard is a good puncheur and as the 2nd race showed, these mid stage attacks can be dangerous.
But this attempt wasn`t successful as he is caught again just 1km later on the descent.
Chances should be better on the climb.
Mori (Kappa), Fonte (Onda) and Daniel Silva (Benfica) are the next to try with 25km to go.
R. Silva still has 1min to them while he only lost 24s on the leading duo so far.
Also Facci (Kappa) and Castroviejo (Espana) seem to be willing to join the attacks.
Facchi and Silva are the only two, who successfully made the jump to Rafael Silva of the former breakaway.
Castroviejo is a bit behind them while all others are back in the peloton.
And it didn`t took long until all 3 late attackers successfully joined the leading duo with 17km to go on the 3rd last climb.
So it`s now
Mourey
D. Silva
Agostini
Facchi
Castroviejo
in the first group with R. Silva being 26s behind but still 45s ahead of the peloton.
2nd last climb and Moinard (Alstom) sees that the gap isn`t going down fast enough. So he goes into the first position and accelerates a bit.
Agostini and R.Silva are caught, so just 4 riders ahead.
Ahead you see Facchi struggling and also Castroviejo and Mourey can`t follow the higher pace of Silva.
With 1 lap to go Silva has a 21s gap to the duo behind him. Another 19s to Facchi, who is also 1min ahead of the peloton. So we could see something very similar to the 2nd race if the favourites wait much longer.
Koldo Gil seems to feel better than his team mate Barrio. So CSC is going for him.
He attacks at the same point with 1 lap to go while Moinard is still doing the pace.
But as soon as Grau (Barcelona) goes into the attack as well Moinard (Alstom) follows immediately.
But will it be enough to catch Silva?
The Portuguese is already on the last climb having a nice gap to Castroviejo and Mourey.
Gil and Facchi still have a small gap to the next, where the situation is not clear at the moment if Moinard/Grau are still in front.
It`s enough for Silva. Without any celebration he wins the 4th race of this crit series.
Once again the favourites were beaten with a too defensive tactic.
All other breakaway riders were still caught and so it`s Osella, Gil and Rienda Segura in the fight for the 2nd as they opened a small gap to the rest.
Osella wins this small sprint ahead of Gil and Riende Segura in 4th.
Once again no high points for someone, who is already in a good position.
Sousa, who was brilliant at the 2nd stage once again shows his strength as 5th ahead of Possoni in 6th. Nice points for him for sure.
Samuel Sanchez wasn`t as strong today but as 7th he is still doing fine, while Mourey once again scored a bit as 8th. Great fight by him.
Moinard and Castroviejo score as last riders.
The pure puncheurs like Mendes, Barrio or Salerno couldn`t even finish in that group and were dropped in the sprint.
Mourey impressively keeps the GC lead. This time shared with Possoni. But they just have a 1 point gap ahead of another Cisco rider in Osella.
As expected/hoped the GC is wide open until the very last day on the Catalunya GP course, where another hilly but definitely easier day expects the riders.
Daniel Eduardo Silva
Marco Osella
Koldo Gil
Francis Mourey
