Stage 3 is just 140km, but with constant climbing and intermediate sprints Gazelle may well struggle to control this. The favourites for todays sateg are Weening and Furdi from Gazelle, and Sanchez Gonazlez and Rodriguez Oliver from Iberia.
Lasca (KEN) beats Merino Criado (CSC) and Moren (VTF) to the first sprint as the break is yet to form.
CSC don't want this to stay together, so they send Usandizaga on the attack before the next sprint
Moren and Lasca almost catch him in the sprint, while taking second and third.
Usandizaga can't last up the first hill, and drops back into the bunch. Strgar (PVL) takes the points ahead of Bormatenkov (TCB) and Shaekhov (GZL)
Usandizaga goes on the attack again, and is joined by A. Rodriguez Oliver (FCB) this time.
A. Rodriguez Oliver gets the summit.
While Strgar attacks to get third
Strgar keeps going this time, but hovers a minute behind the leaders for a long time.
Eventually he catches them.
Strgar then takes the next climb to move to second in the KoM classification, he needs 12 of the remaining 20 points to take the jersey. Usandizaga is second
The break cross the line to start the first of 5 finish laps with a 4'16" advantage, meaning Strgar is in yellow by just 12 seconds. There are 65km left, so I don't think he is an overall threat just yet.
Strgar (PVL) leads A. Rod and Usandizaga through the sprint.
A. Rodriguez Oliver catches Strgar out at the climb to steal the 5 points, leaving Strgar just claiming 3.
The climb causes the peloton to split into two under the pressure from Gazelle. However it comes back together on the descent.
Rodriguez Oliver also claims the next sprint from Strgar.
With three laps to go Eibegger (MAG) decides to make the first proper move.
Mori (KEN) follows him. The break are two minutes ahead.
Gazelle appear unworried as the gap goes out to 50 seconds very quickly.
Strgar (PLV) takes the next climb. Usandizaga is second. With 2 climbs to go, Strgar needs 4 more points.
Eibegger and Mori are 1'20" behind.
Then Gazelle, leading the peloton at 2'31"
Vorganov (PVB) was passive on stage 1, but he tries a downhill attack here.
Eibegger and Mori have sat up, so he quickly catches them.
Kappa are now leading the chase of Mori.
Up front Strgar leads over the penultimate sprint, Usandizaga gets second.
And the attackers are pulled back by their own teammates.
Kappa don't even have a cunning plan, as soon as Mori is pulled back they let Gazelle take over the chasing again.
Sanchez Gonzalex puts in a stinging attack the next time we start the climb. Eibegger tries to follow. https://i1184.phot...4edf66.jpg
This time Falli (KEN) and Barrio (CSC) follow. Will Kappa also chase this down?
No, but Mori also attacks, followed by Vorganov, and Gingsjo (VTF)
Strgar and Usandizaga are first and second over this penultimate climb as well, meaning Strgar gets the polkadot jersey.
Barrio charges on, followed by Falli.
Gingsjo, Vorganov and Sanchez Gonzalez attack again.
But Gazelle have pulled the other two back, and now the yellow jersey, Weening, attacks.
Calzati (FCB) and Rodriguez Oliver (ICV) are straight after him.
All eight attackers come together 55 seconds behind the break.
Ilias (MAG), Galle (VTF), Talabardon (ABC) and Okrouhlicky (ABC) are chasing a further 28 seconds back
Then the bunch 1'55" off the leaders with 20km to go.
The yellow jersey works hard and pull back the break 2km before the intermediate sprint.
Vorganov (PVB) wins it, but Weening (GZL) takes second, meaning the overall is looking very good for him. Snachez Gonzalez (ICV) gets third.
The sprint causes 7 riders to go clear, with Calzati (FCB) jsut behind. The seven, with their new decifit to Weening included, are J. Rodriguez Oliver (ICV) +12", Falli (KEN) +24", Barrio (CSC) +24", Weeing (GZL) +0", Gingsjo (VTF) +24", Sanchez Gonzalez (ICV) +22", Vorganov (PVB) +18"
Calzati makes it back as we approach the final climb.
Barrio pushes up the climb. The two Iberia riders are in second and third, surely one of them should attack.
Barrio seems to be cracking Falli, can Vorganoc and Calzati get back onto Gingsjo's wheel?
Over the top it's Barrio, followed by Rodriguez Oliver and Sanchez G. Falli, Vorganov and Calzati are 20 seconds behind.
Barrio takes his foot off the gas on the downhill, so they manage to get back.
No one wants to help Barrio, so with 5km to go, Ilias (MAG) and Talabardon (ABC) make it back. Talabardon is just 12 seconds down, so it was an error for the leaders to let him get back into the mix.
Barrio (CSC) has done the last 10km on the front and now he starts the sprint.
The two ICV riders move into second and third ahead of Weening
And it's J. Rodriguez Oliver who closes hard on Barrio. With Weening stuck in 4th, this would give him the overall.
Weening is starting to come back at him now, as Barrio fades.
1.5km to go and Ilias is fast moving through the centre of the group.
Ilias moves into second place. With Rodriguez Oliver well clear the question is whether anyone can knock Weening out of third?
It's Gingsjo who takes third now, has Weening lost it?
Ilias is still going strong. If he passes J. Rod then the overall is back in Weening's hands
Does Ilias have enough road left?
No. Rodriguez Oliver takes the stage in the sprint. I was sure he or Sanchez Gonzalez should attack, but they backed their sprint, and it paid off.
Ilias takes second in Magna's home race, that should put him in the top 5 overall.
Gingsjo takes the final bonus points for third. Barrio was the strongest on the hills in this race, but his lack of sprinting ability means he has to be hapy with 4th on the stage. Falli does well to take 5th.
Sanchez Gonzalez gets sixth on the stage, and his 3rd on the intermediate sprint should give him about sixth overall. Weening attacked to early, get himself isolated, and left the enitre Gazelle team cruising home in the bunch. He's lucky he wasn't targetted by the other riders, as he could have done worse than second overall. Talabardon gets 8th, but his bonus seconds on stage 1 mean a top five overall for him. Vorganov gets ninth, and will have to console himself with winning the intermediate sprint. Calzati covers for Grau's loss by taking tenth.
