Welcome to Málaga, where the third stage of this years Vuelta a Andalucia kicks of. Within 45 kilometres we will reach at Puerto del Torcal the highest spot of the entire stage race, a new wearer of the Mountain Jersey is expected!
Also this is the first hill stage of the race and will end on top of the Alto Santuario. Team captains that aim for a high overall classification will go for a good place at the end of the day. Gaps and a shake up of the General Classification are expected as a result of this stage. Favourites of today should be Mate (iBanesto), Schoffmann (Miche), Malle (Peugeot) and other riders with hill stats around that.
During the successful attack a lot of riders already struggle or fail to keep contact with the peloton. Before the first mountain sprint, there is already a group of 17 riders caught ~ 2'30'' behind the peloton, including white jersey Berden De Vries! It will interesting to see, if they will make their way back.
Pulido puts in a late dig to win the first mountain sprint. Second becomes Pulido, Kimmince is third.
On the downhill to the foot of the second mountain the group around De Vries could get back to the main field, it is still unlikely that the Dutch will defend his white jersey today.
Gradients of up to 16 percent make the racing very slow. At 100 kilometres to go the break has a lead of 4'33'' to the pack.
Mazet takes the category 1 climb, with Joly second and Pulido third. Joly takes with 22 points the provisionally lead in the Mountain classification, Mazet is two points behind, further two points down is Pulido. The last mountain sprint today will be exciting, deciding, with 6, 4 and 2 available points for the first three, who will wear the gray mountain jersey tomorrow.
On the climb the back of the peloton was shuttered to pieces again, in one of these groups De Vries is caught again being 2'16'' down to the peloton at the moment.
At 75 kilometres to go the lead of the break has grown to 5'35'' and the peloton is again all back together.
The pace of the peloton is controlled by Standard Bank alongside of ArgoAirways who hope to defend the leaders jersey of Lagab today.
It doesn't seem to be a day for the break today, as with 50 kilometres to go the lead is back to 3'41''.
It is a hard fight for the last mountain points today that Mazet could decide for himself in front of Kohler and Pulido. As the actual provisional leader didn't score any points we will most likely see the SFR rider Mazet in gray tomorrow!
In the front of the peloton now an armada of Standard Bank riders is lined up leading to some riders loosing contact and being caught in groups behind, among them again the withe jersey. It is not entirely clear who the South African team is working for as all their riders, except for Martinelly who lost contact, are lined up.
The close battle at the intermediate sprint is closely won by Kohler in front of Pulido and Joly.
With twenty kilometres to go the break is still 2'28'' in front. Two more hills lay ahead, one not awarded and the other leading us to the finish.
Trautmanis (Kalev) is the first of the favourites to attack, now the racing can begin!
ArgoAirways took over, but their effort doesn't lead to anything. Kulemanis' gap grows over half a minute with 15,5 kilometres to go. His gap to the leading five is 1'40''
On top of the penultimate climb, we see a man of the so far rather invisible Scandinavian team Zoegas attacking. It is the Swede Landström, he is followed by Svab (LKT) and Coenen (Electrabel).
Meanwhile two riders of Node4-Giordana, who were considered as outside shots for the win fell behind the still 115 men stron peloton. They are already 2'57'' behind, so no chance to get back in time.
The trio that just attacked could close the gap to the Latvian Kulemanis before the foot of the final climb. So when we hit the last climb the situation is like this:
E1 (morning break)
E2
peloton
-
24''
50''
Just when group 2 was about to catch group one the two frenchmen Joly and Mazet put in one last desperate try to get away.
The two absolute favourites Mate (iBanesto) and Kochetkov (Katusha) attack out of the peloton.
This attack wasn't successful and just when Mate was about to be catched by the peloton, iBanesto's second gun Victor De la Parte attacks, he is followed by Banos Ballester (Eroski), Tarqui (Millenium) and Wurf (Commonwealth Bank).
With 3600 metres to go the two Frenchmen Mazet and Joly are still in front, both showing an incredible performance today, followed by a group of eight at 25'', including the rest of the former break, the four previous attacker and De la Parte, who could bridge up. 19 seconds behind them we have the trio that tried to follow De la Parte's attack. Further 25 seconds down is the peloton, still led by Standard Bank from which we couldn't see any shot for the win yet.
Homrani of Argo Airways puts in an effort and catches Group 2 and 3, the French duo is still in front and their gap increased, they lead by thirty seconds now with 1500 metres to go. Will we see a surprise win by members of the break?
Then it's another late attack by Kochetkov, the Russian is very active on the last climb!
Under the red kite Joly has already a little gap to Mazet.
Kochetkov is next, then we see Coenen (Electrabel), Svab (LKT) and Landström (Zoegas), after that Wesemann (Standard Bank), Tarqui (Millenium), De la Parte (iBanesto), Trautmanis (iBanesto) and Kohler (Peugeot), another member of today's break! Also we see three from Argo Airways, who will fall back, as they worked the entire day and don't have enough energy anymore to put in a decent sprint.
Kochetkov fades and the win will be for the break. Wesemann is coming strong on the right side.
Mazet found some energy left and is now coming stronger than Joly, 300 metres to go, who will win?
Svab overtakes Kochetkov, Wesemann fades and Mate is coming superstrong.
Almost even, just before the line! Joly still being a little in front!
But then Mazet overtakes his fellow countryman, the win will be his!
So it is! Impressive how they two kept a small margin all the way to the finish!
Svab can just hold of Mate for third, Landström fifth. Kochetkov sixth and Trautmanis seventh, Wesemann just gets eigth, not a place the team will be happy with after all their work. Homrani secures ninth even though the work he did for his captain today and another LKT rider, Stefan Schafer, finishes off the top 10!
Mazet also took over the General classification, also here in front of Joly who is eight seconds behind. Then there is even another jersey for Mazet, the mountain jersey, also in front of Joly, who will be tired of all those second places.
