Stage Favourites:

Arroyo, Rodrigues, Raisin, Schwab & Jeannesson.


Four in the break.

Cerny, Fluckinger, Salas & Vosekalns make the break today.

With 112 KM to go they have only 3'00 of an advantage as we hit the first of two huge climbs.



The difficulty of the gradient sees many dropped on this mid stage climb, only around 50 riders are able to stay within the peloton come the top.


90 KM to go: break @ 3'50.

As Salas summits the mountain first we see some valiant attacks from some decent climbers out of the peloton. The attackers are: Orozco, Bakhin, Feillu and Schwab.



This prompts the GC teams into action. For the next 60 kilometres there is a big chase as the GC teams don't want these riders to have any sort of advantage by the final climb.

With 30 KM to go the late attackers are caught, the original break only 1'00 ahead of the bunch.


17 KM to go.

The final climb is almost here. Only Salas is ahead of the peloton @ '29, he would soon be caught.



Team Nordeus light up the race with 11 KM as Martinez puts in a massive attack, catching many unawares. A good move. Time will tell whether it is too much too early though.


Big favourites caught out early on.

Rodrigues and Arroyo seem to miss out the most in the early kilometres on the climb.


A strong group form the second group on the road.

Martinez is showing crazy form as he distances those behind.

The favourites fight back.

The climb is certainly long enough for the favourites to make amends, that is what we see. The two big names up the pace and catch some of those ahead of them, but can they catch Martinez?



Martinez is putting in one of the climbing displays of the season. With 6 KM to go he has 1'00 over that strong four man group which was '28 seconds behind 4 kilometres ago.



Rodrigues catches and passes the Jeannesson group. Martinez is within his sights on the longer stretches of road.



Arroyo has the Jeannesson group within his sights now.


Unbelievable.

There is just no stopping Martinez today, he is now putting in time to Rodrigues, who is now 1'20 behind on the road.



We are nearing the top as Arroyo catches the Raisin/Jeannesson group. He would soon drop them but the win and 2nd place are now well out of the question.


Monster Martinez!

Martinez puts in, perhaps the best, climbing display in the continental ranks so far this season as he takes stage 3 and the GC lead. What a climb!



Rodrigues comes home 1'48 down for second, besting Arroyo who finished 3rd @ 2'10 today.



Jeannesson leads home a combative group home for fourth place, just holding off Saggiorato and Raisin.

De Greef rode most of the final climb with this group but, in the end, was well tailed off come the finish.

All over 5'00 down Colex, Zurita and Bustamante round out the top 10.

1 hr 30 later.....



Two of the stars of this race are the only two to abandon.
Stevenson, who would have led the KOM comp if he had finished, abandons along with, stage 1 winner,
Renang.

By default Masuda moves into the polka dots.