Welcome to Eibar for the start of the third stage in this Vuelta al Pais Vasco. A short day at 133km, but it should be action-packed, with five categorised climbs and various uncategorised ones along the way. The focus is mostly on the summit finish given the "easy" climbs preceding it. Yesterday was a very tough day, eventually won by our new yellow jersey Jan Bakelants in a controversial photo finish ahead of Peter Sagan. Today is the last really hilly day before the crucial ITT, which for some riders could see them concede a lot of time to the hilly stage racers such as Trofimov, Kangert or Bobridge. So for some, especially Skujins and Beltran who lost big time in the TTT but looked good yesterday, it will be crucial to do well here and maybe even begin the attacking. Of course, there is also one more stage post-ITT for them to make up time.
Of course, no race is without a breakaway, and no breakaway is without various failed breakaways before it. Here were the names involved in the doomed attempts:
#1: Bernas, Ivanov, Sergent, Oomen
#2: Sergent, Stachowiak, Paterski, Petrus
Paterski wins the first 6 KoM points (ahead of Oomen and Shirota) available to close his gap to KoM leader Costa to 20 points. If this escape (plus the counters behind) is successful, he could make that up in the available 30 points before the finish.
Eventually that trio is joined by 11 others to form a rather large 14-man breakaway! Thurau (13th KoM, 4pts, 5'22 on GC) Walsleben Paterski (3rd KoM, 38pts) Cornu Lienhard (12th KoM, 6pts) Ovechkin Laas Oomen (14th KoM, 4pts) Kolar (15th KoM, 4pts Shirota (16th KoM, 2pts) Stachowiak Van Zandbeek Ivanov Krasnoperov
After a long, relentless first half of the race (due to a long chase from Desigual where they almost got caught), Oomen, Shirota, Kasnoperov, Ovechkin and Laas were all dropped before the second KoM.
Some selective KoM climbs after that hard first half. Over the first, Ivanov, Paterski and Kolar (in that order) dropped everyone, before being rejoined on the descent by Thurau and Stachowiak.
The Netia rider attacked early and put 40 seconds into his companions over the second, with Thurau also leaving the other three behind.
Over the last KoM sprint before the final climb it was the same two, in a different order, who, after waiting for the other three, left them behind and denied Paterski the mountains jersey (4 points behind Costa).
Last 30km (same climb) and it's Mehr-Wenige and Dieteren looking to slip away from the peloton. In the background it looks like Bratashcuk wants to join them! No luck for the Ukrainian, but a quick 40 seconds for the Germans as the pack splits in half!
Sagan is on the wrong side! His white jersey for the points competition is indistinguishable from his Moser colours but that's him alright! He has some teammates, but it could spell disaster for him. Just out of position over the top, and see what it does! Vakoc in the same boat.
Thurau and Stachowiak working well here, 40 seconds ahead of the group of 5 (with Dieteren and Mehr-Weninge having bridged), who have 45 to the peloton.
Grieg and Evonik working hard to distance Sagan now, which could spell doom for the escape!
Group Sagan rejoins, but the five-rider chase group is caught!
Philips obviously have a plan involving Dieteren today, as the young German accelerates again! Mehr-Weninge following. 20km to go, typical Basque undulating terrain (and two sprints, with bonus seconds!) to go until the climb.
Caruso also senses a chance here and attacks the bunch to no response from Grieg and Evonik. Dieteren and Mehr-Weninge passing the breakaway duo, if either Thurau or Stachowiak have anything left they're two very good riders to have helping you escape!
Unfortunately neither can, as Caruso catches the German duo, Thurau and Stachowiak are confined to no man's land. 25 seconds up to the trio ahead, 20 seconds to the pack.
Caruso takes 6 bonus seconds ahead of 4 for DMW and 2 for Dieteren, 50 seconds ahead of the peloton! 15km left.
Gastauer uses some false flats to launch an attack! Over two minutes behind, the Luxembourgian desperately needs some time! He's followed by Ulissi, who's chasing a stage win now after basically dropping out of the GC race.
Oooh, now this is serious! Skujins wants in, and despite losses in the TTT he's very much in the GC picture! What reaction will the other favourites make? An interesting move by Skujins, but he, like his Evonik squad, is never one to die wondering!
In the end Marycz gets into SKujin's slipstream and it's all back together! It will come down to the 4.7km at 7% final climb to Ibardin! But first, who will take time at the intermediate sprint?
No sprint, but Gazelle duo Ginanni and Kangert and make a cheeky move to take 4 and 2 seconds respectively!
4.4km to go, almost as soon as the gradient hits 5% it's De Bie who takes the initiative! A bold move by the Aegon man, who's been quietly close to the lead for two days now.
Of course with three cards to play a Gazelle rider will attack, it's Bibby who goes for it! Also now Sagan thinks this is a good move and hops on!
Bobridge, Bakelants, Costa, Skujins, Mohoric... let's just say everyone follows that statement from Sagan!
3km to go and no decisive split, but up ahead De Bie has found daylight! No, Daylight is not a breakaway straggler. Yes, it's overcast. Just... you know what I meant! He's got a gap!
Sagan now on the counter, followed by Skujins and Bobridge!
Behind we can see Vakoc, Bekmanis, Ulissi, Ginanni, Klemme, Pavarin (can't Kulczyk pick a leader?), Van Garderen, Gastauer and Beltran all behind the action, but not too far behind (like the AWOL Kangert...). Where the split will occur, I don't know. But surely it's coming!
It's behind Ulissi, Klemme and Gastauer, it seems. Take out three (!) Gazelle riders and Vanendert, replace them with Gastauer, Ulissi and Pavarin, and it's basically the same selection as last time. Except yesterday, it was Bakelants and Sagan up ahead, today it is...
De Bie. Looking good with 2.2km left, but not exactly flying away. Maintaining his gap, much like Bakelants and Sagan yesterday, but his is just 12 seconds to begin with! Anything could still happen here, but it will take a second wind or the failing of the chasers for De Bie to win solo here.
Skujins played that very well, waiting for Bobridge and Sagan to tire, and he's rewarded with a gap as he puts in his attack! Him and De Bie could be a deadly duo if nobody else finds the legs!
That is not our KoM sprint, for those of you tweeting at me. It's actually the one Thurau won not long ago. Sorry for missing that. Meanwhile in the second ascent, it's Bakelants trying to stop Skujins in his tracks by countering himself! Behind, Waeytens and Ginanni have bridged across whilst Pavarin has been dropped, and more could be coming either way.
It looks like De Bie's second wind has come around the steep turn up to the flamme rouge as he extends his gap to a struggling Skujins! Still 11 seconds from the Latvian to Bakelants.
And a selection now! It's Bakelants, Bobridge, Mohoric, Costa and Gastauer getting away from the others, thanks to Beltran and Sagan losing touch!
Meanwhile Waeytens finds himself in the Sagan group as Ginanni and Bibby lose touch! A disaster of a day for Gazelle, who looked so good yesterday but now have nobody in the front groups!
Final hairpin for De Bie, it's not sewn up yet but he has 20 seconds to Skujins! A steep 600m to the line awaits him!
Bakelants, Mohoric and Costa look spent but Gastauer is hitting out now, still with energy left to give to catch Skujins and - maybe, just maybe - De Bie. It's great to see the Vesuvio man finding some form after a bad day out yesterday.
Just his third ever career win, and this could be his biggest yet if he carries it into a GC bid! Sean De Bie has plenty of time to soak up a simply wonderful solo stage win. From the bottom of the climb, he knew what he wanted to do, and did it. Right now he's not only climbed into the victory here in Ibardin, but the yellow jersey!
Skujins makes second ahead of Gastauer, it'll be up for debate if the Evonik man has earned a gap there. Well, it's not up for debate: he earned it! But the race jury awarding one is a different matter. Gastauer is third, a very nice day for him with some positives for it. Certainly in this form either a stage win or coming back to the GC points isn't out of question. Bobridge continues his strength here by following Gastauer home.
Not as great as Bakelants may have hoped today, losing the jersey and some confidence maybe, but he took time on most and never looked out of his depth. Neither did young Matej Mohoric, who put in another mature ride to strengthen his grip on the U25 jersey, and probably move into the top 10. Costa will be delighted with 7th going into the ITT on stage 5, where he may have designs on the leader's jersey, or at least the provisional podium.
Beltran and Sagan keep their gap to under 20 seconds to those three (unless they get Skujins or Gastauer's time) and maybe even gap the other five, who are lead in by Klemme, rounding out the top 10. A nice return to form for Ulissi and Waeytens, but certainly not a good day for Trofimov or Van Garderen especially. The former especially can make up some time on Stage 5 though, but his new gap to Bobridge and De Bie will worry him, as well as Costa making up some ground from the TTT.
Ginanni leads in the next group quite far down, which contains Vakoc, Yates, Caruso and Bibby/Kangert among others. A horrible day for Gazelle after their amazing Stage 2. Kangert and Bibby will hope to regain some time Stage 5 but the win or a top 5 on GC looks out of reach. An even worse day for Kulczyk, with Vanendert, Pavarin (who dropped hard) and Barbin not even in this group.
De Bie collects his plaudits first for his stage win, and what a fine one it was. It's not often a slightly longer climb you can leave everyone behind like that, but he did in with consummate style.
The verdict on gaps: De Bie to Skujins, Skujins to Gastauer, and Costa to Beltran.
And now the yellow jersey, and De Bie has blown the GC wide open now. The people within a minute: Bobridge having a TT edge on De Bie and surely overtaking him on Stage 5 unless there’s unexpected fireworks tomorrow. Bakelants looked like the best in the hills yesterday but unfortunately for him so far Bobridge, Sagan and De Bie have all looked like having his number to an extent. Trofimov and Costa will hope to get up towards the podium on Stage 5, whilst it's not as dead as I thought for Gazelle with Kangert and Bibby within 2'30.
Skujins is clawing his way back at 2'16 down, whilst Mohoric is a very impressive seventh after some solid rides. Tejay has been solid too but looked lucky to be in the Beltran group. Klemme also has crept into the top 10. Vanendert in 16th off the pace today (could have been top 5 after Stage 5 if he performed like he did yesterday today) but not out of the fight with a lot to gain on Stage 5.
