Stage three is the stage you either looked forward to, or had a nightmare about. From Kaya to Dori, about two-third is laid with the worst kind of cobble. Finishing a stage like this is an achievement in itself.
Cobblestones right from the start of the race. This makes forming a breakaway difficult.
And right from the first short section we have six leaders: Nepomnyachsniy (GC 1st, 5h58'13) Kasperkiewicz (GC 6th, + 17) Manamalage (GC 8th, + 21) Jacobs (GC 12th, + 1'36) Batmunkh (GC 23rd, + 5'09) Van Wyk (GC 24th, + 5'09)
That's right, the favorites showing themselves immediately. They gained forty seconds on a cobblestone section of less than a kilometer, quite the accomplishment. We have a three kilometer asphalt section, and then 25k of difficult terrain.
Kasperkiewicz attacked on the asphalt section and is the first to reach the cobble section, with a twelve second lead over a larger group with, including the aforementioned: C. Richardson (GC 11th, + 1'02) Kurth (GC 22nd, + 5'09) Erdenesuren (GC 37th, + 7'43) Andersson Bille Hoehn Reddish
A few riders trying to get into the break mixed in with the favorites. After them a gap of 35 seconds to a group containing Maes and Taubel. Another twenty seconds behind is what remains of the peloton with the other favorites, some riders already solo off the back.
Puncture for Manamalage a few kilometer into the section! He drops back a few groups. Kasperkiewicz leads by 30 seconds over a group of nine, Maes and Taubel joining the group while the attempted breakaway riders quickly couldn't follow the pace. 50 seconds further we find a group including Young, Kluge, Van Keirsbulck, Orue and Corwin.
Kluge struggling to keep up with his group, forming the fifth group together with Kolev and Coronel. Erdenesuren couldn't follow the pace in group two and dropped back to group Young/Van Keirsbulck. Kasperkiewicz maintaining his lead, not keen on going back.
Batmunkh the next victim of a puncture, a shame as he managed to keep up with the favorites. He drops back to a newly formed fourth group with Young, McLay and Archimandritis. We're not even halfway through this section and the gaps are huge.
Kurth and Van Wyk also had to let go, leaving only five chasers behind Kasperkiewicz: Nepomnyachsniy (GC 1st, 5h58'13) Maes (GC 5th, + 15) Taubel (GC 7th, + 19) C. Richardson (GC 11th, + 1'02) Jacobs (GC 12th, + 1'36)
Group Young (GC 2nd, + 7) and Kluge (GC 3rd, + 10) behind losing more time, they will drop out of the top ten.
The second group is fracturing, Van Keirsbulck going solo towards group Nepomnyachsniy, Orue and Lagab forming a duo behind with Manamalage trying to follow. We still have 100 kilometer to go.
On a very short asphalt section, Maes rides towards Kasperkiewicz. 32 seconds to group yellow jersey, 1'21 to Van Keirsbulck and Orue, 2'44 to Lagab and Manamalage and the rest a lot further behind. We'll get a proper overview at the next intermediate sprint which is in a few kilometer. But first, another cobblestone section of 10 kilometer.
Maes wins the intermediate sprint in Pissila, with Kasperkiewicz right next to him. Richardson gets a gap from the group to take the final second. A full overview from the front to Young:
Maes actually proceeds to drop Kasperkiewicz, whereas Richardson is about to be caught by Nepomnyachsniy and Jacobs.
Taubel is not about to rejoin, as he punctures as well! Many high profile punctures today, the Austrian now forced to go on a recovery ride.
We've also received word Abraha, Corwin, Kurth and McLay all had a puncture at roughly the same place. We suspect something has been thrown on the road, but with this many splits it's hard to have a camera everywhere.
What a relief it must be for the riders to finally feel proper road again, even if it's only for six kilometer. Maes leads by 45 seconds over Kasperkiewicz, 1'45 over Richardson, and nearly two minutes over Nepomnyachsniy, Jacobs and Orue who managed to join. Van Keirsbulck 30 seconds behind him with Taubel now another 30 seconds behind.
And then we enter another long cobblestone section, 21.5 kilometer. Van Keirsbulck and Taubel used the asphalt to rejoin with group yellow jersey, which is losing ground to Maes.
Richardson caught by the group behind about a quarter into the section to form a group of six. The gap to Manamalage behind is over two minutes, gap to Kasperkiewicz ahead is 1'15, and to Maes another 1'15.
Not long thereafter, the then biggest group on the road (behind everything is solo, with some duos and a single trio) is split. Nepomnyachsniy and Orue set off, Jacobs tries to follow. Richardson is too tired and van Keirsbulck and Taubel are off again.
Nepomnyachsniy and Jacobs eventually dropped back to the other three, but Orue carries on. He does not appear to get closer to Maes or Kasperkiewicz. Another intermediate sprint is coming up where we can clock with a stopwatch.
The intermediate sprint also marks the end of another cobble section. A longer period of asphalt with only a small cobble section, maybe we will see some regroups. Here are the gaps as the riders leave:
Hategeka hasn't even passed the first sprint, where Maes passed more than an hour ago. Still he appears to be in the race, but needs a miracle to finish inside the time limit.
Van Keirsbulck attacks with 46 kilometer to go, drawing a response from Nepomnyachsniy and Taubel. The front is getting closer together, Kasperkiewicz within a minute of Maes again with Orue 30 seconds behind him, but then 2'30 to this group.
Maes picking up the pace again, winning the intermediate sprint by 1'08 over Kasperkiewicz, with Orue 20 seconds behind. The Belgian has picked up nine bonus seconds, Kasperkiewicz six, Orue two and Richardson one. A full overview including mergers behind:
So Van Keirsbulck's attack has resulted in nothing, the cobblestones are more decisive than asphalt.
Hategeka now finally at the first split, 90 minutes behind. He'll be at the halfway mark when the leaders reach the finish line.
Five work better than one, so Orue is caught as we head onto the final cobble section, 23 kilometer long and all the way to the finish. Kasperkiewicz 40 seconds into the distance but Maes still leading by over two minutes. Manamalage caught by the group behind at 2'28.
Kasperkiewicz is hit really hard as within a few kilometer he is caught by Taubel, Jacobs and Richardson, who rode away from Nepomnyachsniy, Van Keirsbulck and Orue. The yellow jersey actually struggling most at the moment.
The Kazakh really in trouble as he has to let go of Van Keirsbulck's wheel, who lost the wheel of Orue. Kasperkiewicz lost contact with group Taubel, which is now only 1'05 away from Maes with thirteen kilometer to go. Ngandamba rode away from the group behind and is only 1'20 behind Nepomnyachsniy, whereas Abraha has punctured again. This stage has too much action.
Everything happening at once. Taubel lost touch with Jacobs and Richardson, but then Jacobs punctures so Richardson is alone in chasing Maes! The Belgian was close to be caught as the gap had been reduced to half a minute. Kasperkiewicz two minutes behind Taubel with still the same groups and gaps behind.
Richardson joins Maes with ten kilometer to go. A minute to Taubel, another 23 to Jacobs, 1'20 to Kasperkiewicz, 31 to Orue, 23 to Van Keirsbulck, 25 to Nepomnyachsniy, 1'36 to Ngandamba, 39 to Kluge, Manamalage, Lagab and Ruiz.
Five kilometer later the story is the same, now 1'20 to Taubel with Jacobs still at 20 seconds, the riders behind them also still solo with roughly the same gaps. Unless something crazy happens, Maes versus Richardson for the stage and the overall win. Richardson though needs to distance Maes due to the Bermudan's unfortunate time loss on stage one.
But Richardson lets Maes drag him along until the final kilometer, despite the Belgian riding on his last legs. The Azteca rider has limited distance to make up the necessary time.
And here he goes, Maes is completely empty. The stage win is for Richardson, but will it be the GC as well? Let's do some quick calculations, he was 47 seconds behind, and will gain 25 bonus seconds for the win compared to 18 for Maes, but the Belgian has gained nine bonus seconds compared to one for Richardson, so the Bermudan has to make up 48 seconds to win the GC.
Richardson smartly holds off celebrating until he crosses the line. The stage is his, and he's at least second in the GC, but has he gained enough time? There is definitely a gap and Maes struggles to move forward, his long solo might come to a heartbreaking end.
30 seconds...
40 seconds...
45, 46, 47...
48, 49. Nikolas Maes falls one second short of the overall victory. Second place on the stage and the GC is good but the disappointment will be huge, especially with such a small margin after looking so good all day.
Christoph Taubel finishes in P3 at 2'42. Jacobs unfortunate with punctures this race, P4 but given the same time as Taubel. Taubel will be third in the GC, Jacobs has to wait for those behind to know his position.
Kasperkiewicz's long solo cost him in the end, fifth place at 3'44. Orue sixth in the same time, Van Keirsbulck seventh at 4'47. That means Kasperkiewicz is fourth and winner of the youth classification, Orue fifth and runner-up in the youth classification. Jacobs sixth, nine seconds behind the Paraguayan. Van Keirsbulck seventh pending Nepomnyachsniy's arrival.
Nepomnyachsniy really hit a brick wall in the end, finishing eighth at nearly six minutes from Richardson, which makes him drop from the lead to eighth in the GC. He doesn't even win the points classification, which becomes the consolation prize for Maes since Paez is way too much behind to make it to the finish line.
Ngandamba just stays ahead of the chasing group, at 8'22. Ruiz completes the top ten ahead of Kluge, Manamalage and Lagab. GC-wise, Kluge ninth ahead of Manamalage, Ngandamba, Lagab and Ruiz.
The riders continue to drop in one by one: Batmunkh next at 9'36, Abraha at 10'41.
Minoungou, Corwin and Kurth at 14'32.
Kumara, Coronel, Langeveld and Van Wyk at 17'54.
Young at 19'31, Kolev at 20'53, Archimandritis at 25'45, McLay at 27'59. The time limit is 40 minutes and only 26 riders have finished so far.
Palyi, Ovsyannikov, Erdenesuren, Townsend and Malecki make it to the finish line. Then the time limit has passed, only 31 riders have finished. For some teams, none of the riders finished the race. Azteca wins the teams classification due to Richardson, Orue and Corwin.
Fun fact: the top thirty in the GC get ranking points, so only Malecki would leave pointless. But since he's eighth in the youth classification, which is good for a solitary point, every rider who finished brings in ranking points.
A shot from Hategeka, who had an extremely lonely and tough day. He is one kilometer away from the second intermediate sprint when the time limit passed. Luckily the car is close behind so his legs can stop suffering. The other riders are picked up one by one, glad they got out of this hell.
