Stage 3 of Paris-Nice follows a rolling course 151km from Le Brethon to Châtel-Guyon. The climbing doesn’t seem that hard so a small group sprint seems likely and large losses for the GC riders who are weaker in the hills seem unlikely. However it is hard enough that the yellow jersey Leung and the other prologue riders holding high GC positions will be under pressure.
Former winners Sicard and Gesink top the pre-stage favorite list.
In addition to two sprint points we have the first KOM prizes of the race today, two cat 3 climbs. So one of the breakaway riders will earn that jersey.
It is pouring with rain as the riders pull away from the start and immediately Galdoune and Anderberg attack.
A chase group forms with Penko, Vorobev, Ganna and Mraouni
But King Power don’t like this break, maybe because Vorobev and Ganna are 8th and 12th in the GC, so Van Winden is chasing hard. Duolingo and Generali also unhappy and helping with the chase. But keeping the break close encourages new attacks and Budenieks and Malecki attack.
With 23km gone Budenieks is back in the pack but the other 7 have joined together and have a 53-second gap with cycleYorkshire now contributing to the chase.
But with 30km the chasers relent and the lead begins to grow. With 114k left to ride the break is 1 km from the first sprint point and has a 2’07 lead over the peloton. Vorobev opens the sprint:
Galdoune wins it followed by Malecki and Ganna.
Ganna and Vorobev would have had a chance at taking yellow if they had taken both sprints and finished in the front group. But that possibility is gone.
The break starts the first KOM climb with 91 km to go in the race, their lead is just 2’06 having peaked at just over 3 minutes.
King Power is chasing hard again with help from Generali. With 1km to the top Malecki starts the sprint and holds on to take the points.
Ganna and Penko take 2nd and 3rd.
The peleton is 1’46 behind when the pass over the top. No riders have been dropped.
After a 15km descent the break starts the second cat 3. Which is a 6km climb to Côte des Boulards. There are some gaps in the peloton in the descent but nothing sticks and the gap to the breakaway has grown to 2’22.
With 1.2 km to the KOM Malecki again launches the first attack.
Again, the rest can’t pull him back and he will wear the KOM jersey on Stage 4.
Mraouni beats Ganna for 2nd. Galdoune is dropped and has a gap to close.
When the peleton reaches the summit the lead is 2’34 to the front and 1’45 to Galdoune.
There are now about 60km of lumpy, but not difficult terrain, before the climb to the finish. As no riders have been dropped we should have a big group reach the final climb together.
With 51km to rider Galdoune’s adventure is over. The rest of the break has 2’07. cycleYorkshire, Generali and Duolingo doing most of the work with some help from King Power.
With 40km to go the lead is down to 1’40. The break have 6km to the 2nd sprint point.
At the 2nd sprint Malecki is again the best.
Mraouni gets 2nd and Ganna 3rd. Ganna started the day 7 seconds off the white jersey but hasn’t taken enough bonus seconds to lead in that competition.
With 31 km to go the break’s lead is down to 1’11 and the yellow jersey is on the wrong side of a split in the peloton.
The white jersey is another group further back.
20km to go, the break’s lead is down to 27 seconds. Oliveira is leading the pack for Duolingo, Gesink is well placed in about 5th wheel.
Most of the strong hill GC riders are near the front as is Azman. But Alarcon, Quintana, Amador, Keizer, Galta, Hirt, Berhane, Carapaz and Schelling are all further back although still in the front group.
The yellow jersey is 2’17 down in a group that has been persistently a few minutes’ behind the peloton despite work by Gazelle, for their leader Vervaeke, who is also in the yellow jersey group. King Power not showing any interest in defending Yellow.
Just under 10km to go, there are 98 riders in the front group as Masnada leads for Generali. Talansky must feel good today, his team has been working all day. The break is still hanging on to 29 seconds.
The remaining kilometers are all steadily up hill. With 6km to go the gap is still 25 seconds as Generali is not getting much help from other teams. Dyball on the front now.
Many of the leaders have moved up into better positions but Galta, Berhane and Carapaz are still a long way back. The yellow jersey group is 1’39 back.
With the 5km banner in sight Roglic attacks. He is followed by Chiarello and Gesink.
Roglic is unable to get a gap and the break is still clinging to their lead over a group of 108 riders.
Festina goes to the front and closes down the break. Great riding from Bouglas, yesterday he led out a sprint win and today he is on the front with 2.5 k to go in a hilly stage.
2km to go and they are lining up for the sprint. In the front row, left to right: Olivier Bouglas Mavrikakis Roglic
Behind them: Sicard Rosch Gesink Lecuisinier (a little set back) Chiarello Morton (also a little back)
Then: Abreu Dombrowski Bayly
Directly behind Abreu is Azman.
Then many of the remaining GC men: Anderberg Keizer Paez Alarcon Hirt Meintjes Talansky Masnada
And finally clinging to the back group Amador and Quintana
1.4 km’s to go and they still together in a group of a 113. Tvetcov and Berhane have found their way to the back of the contenders up front.
The yellow jersey is still over 2 minutes down so it looks like the race will have a new leader. Coquard, in 5th, is the best placed rider still in the front group, if he can avoid gaps over the next 1.4 km he would be in line for yellow, although bonus seconds could change that.
800 meters to go and still no moves. Bayly protecting Morton on the right, could that be an advantage?
600 meters to go, the gradient is 12%, and the front 36 have a gap. Schelling had made it across and Godoy is just hanging on. But Galta and Carapaz have not made it across. Nor has Coquard, Keizer is the best placed rider in the front group now but bonus seconds will likely determine yellow.
300 meters to, the line is around the corner, Sicard, Morton and Dombrowski are furthest forward.
As they round the turn Sicard has the edge.
9 riders have been split off the back, Godoy the only GC rider in that group.
And Sicard celebrates his 3rd stage win at Paris-Nice.
Lecuisinier edges Morton for 2nd. They are followed by:
4th: Olivier
5th: Dombrowski
6th: Gesink
7th: Talansky
8th: Hirt
9th: Keizer
10th: Alarcon
Berhane comes home in 11th followed by
12th: Meintjes
13th: Schelling
14th: Amador
15th: Chiarello
16th: Roglic
17th: Azman
Quintana struggles home in 21st behind Tvetcov, Vosekalns and Kirsch. But he doesn’t lose any time.
While Quintana hangs on to the front group, Godoy (1’25), Galta (1’57) and Carapaz (1’57) lose time. But most of the GC riders will be pleased to have negotiated the first of the punchy stages with no loss. Stage 5 might prove more of a challenge.
In the white jersey tomorrow will be Novak who finished in the second group on the road, 1’04 down. He has 13 seconds on Ganna. In the KOM jersey is Malecki. Leung couldn’t hold yellow today but does hold on to green thanks to points he took in the sprint on Stage 2. Evonik, with 3 riders in the front group, now leads the team standings.
And finally, thanks to bonus seconds our new yellow jersey is: Romain Sicard.
Sicard leads Lecuisinier by 8 seconds and Keizer by 17.
Paris-Nice 
